KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB297 • 2026

RESIDENCE PREFERENCE: FISHERY RESOURCES

An Act establishing a preference for the taking of fishery resources by residents for personal and family consumption; adding to the factors the Board of Fisheries may consider in allocating certain fishery resources; and providing for an effective date.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES SCHWANKE, Allard
Last action
2026-02-20
Official status
(H) FSH
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not explicitly mention federal rules, so any claim about non-application to federal waters is an inference based on state jurisdiction.

HB297: Preference for Alaska Residents Taking Fish

This bill requires state regulations to give priority to residents taking fish for personal and family use over other uses, while adding new factors the Board of Fisheries may consider when allocating resources.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes rules so that resident fishing for personal and family consumption has preference over sport and commercial uses.
  • Allows the Board of Fisheries to allocate fishery resources among personal use, sport, guided sport, and commercial fisheries based on specific criteria.
  • Adds a list of factors the board may consider when making allocation decisions, such as past participation history and economic importance.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Alaska residents who fish for food for themselves and their families
  • The Alaska Board of Fisheries, which makes rules about fishing limits and allocations
  • Sport fishermen, guided sport operators, and commercial fishermen

Terms To Know

Fishery resources
Wild fish populations that people can catch for food or business.
Personal use
Taking fish to eat at home rather than selling them or using them for sport.
Board of Fisheries
The state group that decides fishing rules and how much fish each person can take.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill states it takes effect immediately upon passage, but does not specify a calendar date.
  • The text lists factors the board may consider for allocation but does not set specific numbers or quotas for how much fish each group gets.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-20 1669

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): ALLARD

  2. 2026-02-09 1585

    (H) REFERRED TO FISHERIES

  3. 2026-02-09 1585

    (H) FSH, RES

  4. 2026-02-09 1585

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

RESIDENCE PREFERENCE: FISHERY RESOURCES
An Act establishing a preference for the taking of fishery resources by residents for personal and family consumption; adding to the factors the Board of Fisheries may consider in allocating certain fishery resources; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB0297a -1- HB 297
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1251\H

HOUSE BILL NO. 297

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVES SCHWANKE, Allard

Introduced: 2/9/26
Referred: House Special Committee on Fisheries, Resources

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act establishing a preference for the taking of fishery resources by residents for 1
personal and family consumption; adding to the factors the Board of Fisheries may 2
consider in allocating certain fishery resources; and providing for an effective date." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 16.05.251(d) is amended to read: 5
(d) Regulations adopted under (a) of this section must, consistent with 6
sustained yield and the provisions of AS 16.05.258, provide that [A FAIR AND 7
REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR] the taking of fishery resources by residents 8
for personal and family consumption has preference over other uses [USE, 9
SPORT, AND COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN]. 10
* Sec. 2. AS 16.05.251(e) is amended to read: 11
(e) The Board of Fisheries may, subject to the preference set out in (d) of 12
this section, allocate fishery resources among personal use, sport, guided sport, and 13
commercial fisheries. The board shall adopt criteria for the allocation of fishery 14
34-LS1251\H
HB 297 -2- HB0297a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

resources and shall use the criteria as appropriate to particular allocation decisions. 1
The criteria may include factors such as 2
(1) the history of each personal use, sport, guided sport, and 3
commercial fishery; 4
(2) the number of residents and nonresidents who have participated in 5
each fishery in the past and the number of residents and nonresidents who can 6
reasonably be expected to participate in the future; 7
(3) the importance of each fishery for providing residents the 8
opportunity to obtain fish for personal and family consumption; 9
(4) the availability of alternative fisheries resources; 10
(5) the importance of each fishery to the economy of the state; 11
(6) the importance of each fishery to the economy of the region and 12
local area in which the fishery is located; 13
(7) the importance of each fishery in providing recreational 14
opportunities for residents and nonresidents; and 15
(8) whether personal use, sport, guided sport, and commercial 16
fishermen are provided a fair and reasonable opportunity to take the resource. 17
* Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 18