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SENATE BILL NO. 158
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY SENATOR BJORKMAN
Introduced: 4/7/25
Referred: Labor and Commerce, Resources
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to administrative areas for regulation of certain commercial set net 1
entry permits; 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
LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The Alaska State Legislature finds that it is in the public 6
interest to establish a new administrative area on the east side of Cook Inlet. 7
* Sec. 2. AS 16.43.200 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 8
(c) Notwithstanding (a) and (b) of this section, for the purposes of issuing 9
entry permits and controlling entry into the commercial set net fishery on the east side 10
of Cook Inlet, the commission shall establish the area administered on December 31, 11
2024, identified by the Department of Fish and Game as of January 1, 2024, as 12
statistical areas 244-21, 244-22, 244-31, 244-32, 244-41, and 244-42 of the Upper 13
Subdistrict of the Cook Inlet Central District as a distinct administrative area separate 14 34-LS0519\I
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from the Cook Inlet administrative area. 1
(d) An entry permit that entitled a person to set net commercially in the area 2
that was administered on December 31, 2024, by the commission as the Cook Inlet 3
administrative area does not entitle that person to set net commercially in the 4
administrative area established under (c) of this section unless the commission 5
reassigns the permit to that administrative area. 6
* Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 7
read: 8
TRANSITION: REASSIGNMENT OF CERTAIN COOK INLET AREA SET NET 9
ENTRY PERMITS. (a) On January 1, 2026, an individual holding an entry permit that entitles 10
the individual to commercially set net in the Cook Inlet administrative area may have the 11
individual's entry permit renewed as an entry permit for the Cook Inlet set net administrative 12
area under AS 16.43.150(c), consistent with the boundaries of that administrative area 13
established under AS 16.43.200, as amended by sec. 2 of this Act, unless the individual 14
provides proof satisfactory to the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission of the 15
individual's participation or, if the individual acquired the individual's entry permit from an 16
immediate family member, of the immediate family member's participation in the fishery in 17
the areas identified by the Department of Fish and Game as of January 1, 2024, as statistical 18
areas 244-21, 244-22, 244-31, 244-32, 244-41, and 244-42 of the Upper Subdistrict of the 19
Cook Inlet Central District within the five years preceding December 31, 2024. Proof 20
satisfactory of participation under this subsection may include a shore fisheries lease, an area 21
registration, a buoy tag, or previous submission of fishing statistics for the area. 22
(b) An individual who provides proof satisfactory to the Alaska Commercial Fisheries 23
Entry Commission of the individual's participation in the fishery in the areas identified by the 24
Department of Fish and Game as of January 1, 2024, as statistical areas 244-21, 244-22, 244-25
31, 244-32, 244-41, and 244-42 of the Upper Subdistrict of the Cook Inlet Central District 26
under (a) of this section shall be reassigned an entry permit on January 1, 2026, for the new 27
administrative area established under AS 16.43.200(c), enacted by sec. 2 of this Act. 28
(c) In this section, "immediate family member" means 29
(1) the spouse of an individual; 30
(2) another individual cohabiting with an individual in a conjugal relationship 31 34-LS0519\I
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that is not a legal marriage; 1
(3) a child, including a stepchild or an adopted child, of an individual; 2
(4) a parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, or uncle of an individual; and 3
(5) a parent or sibling of an individual's spouse. 4
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 5
read: 6
TRANSITION: APPEAL OF COMMISSION DECISION NOT TO ASSIGN AN 7
APPLICANT'S PERMIT TO NEW ADMIN ISTRATIVE AREA. (a) An individual may 8
appeal a decision by the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission to renew the entry 9
permit held by the individual that allows the individual to commercially fish in the Cook Inlet 10
administrative area, as the area's boundaries are amended by AS 16.43.200(c), enacted by sec. 11
2 of this Act, instead of issuing the individual an entry permit for the administrative area 12
established by AS 16.43.200(c), enacted by sec. 2 of this Act. An appeal under this section 13
must be made to the superior court on or before March 1, 2026. 14
(b) The commission shall provide an individual who is appealing a decision of the 15
commission under this section a provisional entry permit for the administrative area 16
established by AS 16.43.200(c), enacted by sec. 2 of this Act. 17
* Sec. 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026. 18