Committee approves amendments on hunting, disabled-hunter rules and a temporary tuna license; items placed on consent

The House Fish and Game Committee handled several bills in executive session, approving sponsor amendments and committee recommendations and placing multiple items on the consent calendar.

HB 1045 (hunting with lights): The committee opened an executive session on HB 1045, moved a motion to report the bill Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), and carried that motion on the roll call. Representative Harvey argued the bill would make enforcement more difficult and create safety concerns, saying animals freeze and shooters have limited visibility. The chair placed the ITL on the consent calendar.

HB 11-40 (disabled persons hunting from a vehicle): Sponsor amendment O575H was offered to narrow the bill’s scope (specifying paraplegia or loss of use of lower extremities and removing earlier language). Members questioned an administrative $10 processing fee and whether it was a one-time or annual charge; the chair clarified it is a one-time administrative fee. The amendment passed 14–0, and the committee subsequently voted OTPA (ought to pass as amended) 14–0; the item will go on the consent calendar.

HB 18-33-FN (temporary nonresident vessel-operator license for tuna tournaments): Sponsor amendment 0700H narrowed the license to tournament dates (not to exceed 10 days) and restricted hosts to nonprofit sponsors. The amendment was reported to committee as a product of collaboration between the prime sponsor and Fish and Game and passed 14–0. Members raised concerns about fee-setting and possible revenue effects: Representative Harvey noted the current season-long tuna license was $500 and worried that a lower temporary fee could reduce revenue for the department. Chairman Spillane and others said the statute leaves fees to the director, who may set a lower temporary fee to encourage participation, and that recent legislation will allow the department to use lifetime-license funds to upgrade its licensing system so this change can be implemented without additional capital cost. The committee recommended OTPA on the bill as amended; several members recorded 'no' votes during the OTPA roll call, but the chair placed the item on the consent calendar.

Other business: Chairman Spillane said he plans to draft an amendment to name a state water-access road the "Harry Bean Water Access Road" and to add a curfew (roughly 8 p.m.–5 a.m.) to allow enforcement; he encouraged cooperation from colleagues and the department on enforcement details.

What happens next: Amendments that passed unanimously were placed on the consent calendar. The committee will forward its recommended actions and any minority materials to the calendar staff for scheduling.

Key fact: Current season-long tuna tournament participation was described in testimony as roughly 15 entrants and a $500 season license for tournament participants; the proposed special license would be limited to tournament dates and fee-setting would be left to the executive director of Fish and Game and Marine Resources.