Read the full stored bill text
SB0269A -1- SB 269
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
34-LS1537\A
SENATE BILL NO. 269
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY SENATOR HOFFMAN
Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: Resources, Finance
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act restructuring the Board of Fisheries; and providing for an effective date." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 16.05.221(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) For purposes of the conservation and development of the fishery resources 4
of the state, [THERE IS CREATED] the Board of Fisheries is created, made up of 5
three regional boards established under (e) of this section and composed of 15 6
[SEVEN] members, with five members serving on each regional board, appointed 7
by the governor, subject to confirmation by a majority of the members of the 8
legislature in joint session. The governor shall appoint each member based on [THE 9
BASIS OF] interest in public affairs, good judgment, knowledge, and ability in the 10
field of action of the board, and with a view to providing diversity of interest and 11
points of view in the membership. Each regional board established under (e) of this 12
section shall have a member who is actively engaged in the commercial fishing 13
industry, a member who is actively engaged in the sport fishing industry, a 14
member who is actively engaged in subsistence or personal use fisheries, and two 15
34-LS1537\A
SB 269 -2- SB0269A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
members of the public. The appointed members shall be residents of the state and 1
shall be appointed without regard to political affiliation or geographical location of 2
residence. The commissioner is not a member of the Board of Fisheries, but shall be 3
ex officio secretary. 4
* Sec. 2. AS 16.05.221 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 5
(e) The Board of Fisheries is made up of three regional boards, the Southeast 6
Board of Fisheries, the Central Board of Fisheries, and the Western Board of 7
Fisheries. Each regional board established under this subsection is composed of five 8
members appointed by the governor under (a) of this section, subject to legislative 9
confirmation. 10
* Sec. 3. AS 16.05 is amended by adding a new section to read: 11
Sec. 16.05.225. Administration of regional boards. (a) Subject to (b) of this 12
section, the administration of each regional board of the Board of Fisheries established 13
under AS 16.05.221(e) is set by boundaries based on the following: 14
(1) fisheries in and the bodies of water that drain into the Gulf of 15
Alaska shall be administered by the Board of Southeast Fisheries; 16
(2) fisheries in and the bodies of water that drain into the Bering Sea 17
shall be administered by the Board of Central Fisheries; and 18
(3) fisheries in and the bodies of water that drain into the Chukchi and 19
Beaufort Seas shall be administered by the Board of Western Fisheries. 20
(b) The commissioner shall set the boundaries of the region administered by 21
each regional board in regulation. The commissioner shall, to the extent possible, use 22
the boundaries of existing administrative units to set boundaries under this section. 23
(c) Each regional board shall adopt regulations for the fisheries and bodies of 24
water over which the board has jurisdiction. If the boundaries of a fishery or other 25
management unit are not contained within a single region established under this 26
section, the affected regional boards shall exercise jurisdiction jointly over the fishery 27
or management unit. The three regional boards shall jointly address issues of state 28
concern or statewide management. 29
* Sec. 4. AS 16.05.300(a) is amended to read: 30
(a) The Board of Game and the three regional Boards of Fisheries 31
34-LS1537\A
SB0269A -3- SB 269
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
meeting jointly [EACH BOARD] shall each hold at least one meeting a year and as 1
many other meetings as the boards consider [IT CONSIDERS] necessary. Each 2
regional board of the Board of Fisheries under AS 16.05.221(e) shall also hold at 3
least one joint meeting. Each board shall select the time and place in the state for the 4
transaction of business. Each board shall maintain an [ITS] office at the principal 5
office of the department. 6
* Sec. 5. AS 16.05.305 is amended to read: 7
Sec. 16.05.305. Clerical assistance for boards. Each regional board of the 8
[THE] Board of Fisheries under AS 16.05.221(e) and the Board of Game are 9
authorized to hire and set the compensation for one clerical assistant for each board. 10
* Sec. 6. AS 16.05.315 is amended to read: 11
Sec. 16.05.315. Joint board meetings. One or more regional board of the 12
[THE] Board of Fisheries under AS 16.05.221(e) and the Board of Game may hold a 13
joint meeting upon the call of the commissioner or a board to resolve any conflicts in 14
regulations of the boards and to consider matters, as determined by the commissioner 15
or a board, that require the consideration of the [BOTH] boards. 16
* Sec. 7. AS 16.05.320 is amended to read: 17
Sec. 16.05.320. Quorum. A majority of the members of a board constitutes a 18
quorum for the transaction of business, for the performance of any duty, and for the 19
exercise of any power. However, a majority of the full board membership is required 20
to carry all motions, regulations, and resolutions. A majority of the members of each 21
regional board of the Board of Fisheries under AS 16.05.221(e) acting at a joint 22
meeting and a majority of the members of the Board of Game [THE BOARDS OF 23
FISHERIES AND GAME] constitute a quorum for the transaction of business in a 24
joint board meeting. A majority of the membership of each board [THE BOARDS] is 25
required to carry all joint motions, regulations, and resolutions of the boards. 26
* Sec. 8. AS 16.05.940 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 27
(39) "Board of Fisheries" means a regional board of fisheries 28
established under AS 16.05.221(e), two regional boards acting jointly under 29
AS 16.05.221(e), or all three regional boards acting together, as AS 16.05.225 and 30
context require. 31
34-LS1537\A
SB 269 -4- SB0269A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
* Sec. 9. AS 16.43.990 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 1
(12) "Board of Fisheries" has the meaning given in AS 16.05.940. 2
* Sec. 10. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 3
read: 4
TRANSITION. A person who is a member of the Board of Fisheries on the effective 5
date of secs. 1 - 9 of this Act shall serve the term to which the person was appointed, subject 6
to AS 16.05.280. The governor shall appoint new members to the Board of Fisheries, subject 7
to AS 16.05.221(a), as amended by sec. 1 of this Act, and in accordance with 8
AS 16.05.221(d). 9
* Sec. 11. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 10
read: 11
TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The Department of Fish and Game and the Board 12
of Fisheries may adopt regulations to implement the changes made by this Act. The 13
regulations take effect under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) but not before the 14
effective date of the law implemented by the regulation. 15
* Sec. 12. Section 11 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 16
* Sec. 13. Except as provided in sec. 12 of this Act, this Act takes effect January 1, 2027. 17