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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HB356 • 2026

COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS\MICRO-FISHERY

An Act relating to health and sanitary requirements and certain permits for commercial fishing vessels; 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
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE
Last action
2026-04-23
Official status
(H) FSH
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included details about direct marketing fisheries business licenses and economic challenges in rural coastal communities which were not explicitly detailed or supported by the official source material.

Alaska Coastal Micro-Fisheries Act

This act sets health and sanitary requirements for small commercial fishing vessels in Alaska and provides exemptions from certain regulations.

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts small fishing vessels that meet safety standards from additional health and sanitation rules.
  • Allows up to 5,000 pounds of fish to be packaged and frozen on board these vessels per voyage.
  • Limits annual fees for commercial fishermen who harvest less than 10,000 pounds annually from a vessel under 50 feet in length.
  • Requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to simplify regulations for small fishing vessels that process fish directly.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Commercial fishermen who operate small fishing vessels and process their own catch.
  • The Department of Environmental Conservation, which oversees health and safety regulations for these vessels.

Terms To Know

Micro-Fishery
A commercial fishing operation that uses a small vessel to harvest fish in limited quantities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify the exact safety standards or health requirements that must be met.
  • It is unclear how simplifying regulations will address economic challenges in rural coastal communities specifically.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-23 Min

    (H) Minutes (HFSH)

  2. 2026-04-23 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  3. 2026-04-23 Text

    (H) FISHERIES at 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120

  4. 2026-04-16 Text

    (H) -- Testimony <Invitation Only> -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  5. 2026-04-16 Text

    (H) FISHERIES at 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120

  6. 2026-02-23 1690

    (H) REFERRED TO FISHERIES

  7. 2026-02-23 1690

    (H) FSH, L&C

  8. 2026-02-23 1690

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS\MICRO-FISHERY
An Act relating to health and sanitary requirements and certain permits for commercial fishing vessels; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB0356a -1- HB 356
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1406\I

HOUSE BILL NO. 356

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE VANCE

Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: House Special Committee on Fisheries, Labor and Commerce

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to health and sanitary requirements and certain permits for 1
commercial fishing vessels; and providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 4
to read: 5
SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Coastal Micro-Fisheries Act. 6
* Sec. 2. AS 44.46.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 7
(c) If the Department of Environmental Conservation finds that a commercial 8
vessel and the associated fishery processing operation operated by a commercial fisher 9
described under AS 44.46.027(a)(1) meet safety standards, including those established 10
under 21 C.F.R. Part 123, and that the fisher harvests only fishery species that present 11
a low risk of spreading pests or disease from the vessel, the regulations of the 12
Department of Conservation that relate to the production and processing of the fishery 13
resource must 14
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HB 356 -2- HB0356a
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(1) exempt the vessel and associated fishery processing operation from 1
additional health and sanitary requirements; and 2
(2) allow up to 5,000 pounds of harvested fishery resources to be 3
packaged and frozen aboard the vessel for each voyage. 4
* Sec. 3. AS 44.46.025 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 5
(f) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, the Department of Environmental 6
Conservation may not charge a licensed commercial fisher who harvests fewer than 7
10,000 pounds of fishery resources annually from a vessel under 50 feet in overall 8
length, and who processes the fishery resource under a direct marketing fisheries 9
business license issued under AS 43.75.020(c), more than $100 in annual fees under 10
AS 17.20 and this chapter. 11
* Sec. 4. AS 44.46 is amended by adding a new section to read: 12
Sec. 44.46.027. Regulations for certain commercial fishers fishing from 13
small fishing vessels. (a) The Department of Environmental Conservation shall, in 14
consultation with the Department of Fish and Game, work to simplify and streamline 15
regulations applicable to a licensed commercial fisher who processes fishery resources 16
harvested by the fisher under a direct marketing fisheries business license issued under 17
AS 43.75.020(c) and who harvests 18
(1) less than 10,000 pounds of fishery resources annually from a vessel 19
under 50 feet in overall length; or 20
(2) fishery resources from a vessel that does not exceed 65 feet in 21
overall length. 22
(b) The Department of Environmental Conservation shall approve or deny a 23
permit requested by a commercial fisher described in (a)(1) or (2) of this section 24
within 30 days after the fisher applies for the permit. 25
(c) In simplifying and streamlining regulations under this section, the 26
Department of Environmental Conservation shall prioritize simplifying and 27
streamlining regulations applicable to commercial fishers described in (a)(1) of this 28
section who fish from rural coastal communities. The Department of Environmental 29
Conservation shall ensure the regulations address the specific economic challenges 30
posed by fishing from rural coastal communities, including high costs and difficulties 31
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HB0356a -3- HB 356
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in accessing product markets. 1
* Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 2