Committee Approves Substitute to Exempt Small Fishing Tournaments from Permit Requirement; Regatta Scope Questioned

The committee advanced a substitute to House Bill 157 on a voice vote after sponsors said the change clarifies the exemption applies only to fishing tournaments with 30 vessels or fewer and not to regattas or marine parades.

Representative Betzal, presenting the substitute, said it “focuses on exempting fishing tournaments below 30 vessels or fewer” and narrowed original language that might have covered other marine events. A government-affairs witness, Sam Adams of ALIYAH, told the committee the intent is to keep regattas and other races subject to permitting because those events concentrate boats and raise different safety concerns.

Representative Fiddler pressed whether the substitute would inadvertently remove earlier explicit exclusions for regattas. After staff and the witness clarified the sponsor’s intent, the committee adopted the substitute and later gave the bill a favorable report as substituted. One committee member recorded a nay, stating concerns remain about ensuring regattas are still covered by permit rules.

Next steps: HB 157 received a favorable report and will move forward; sponsors indicated they will continue conversations to ensure regattas and other close-proximity marine events remain properly regulated.