HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5012

                 As Passed House - Amended:

                       April 10, 1995

Title:  An act relating to transfer of fishery licenses.

Brief Description:  Revising the fee for transfer of fishery licenses.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senator Snyder).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Natural Resources:  3/21/95, 3/28/95 [DPA];

Finance:  4/3/95 [DPA(NR)].

Floor Activity:

Amended.

Passed House:  4/10/95, 91-5.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Fuhrman, Chairman; Buck, Vice Chairman; Pennington, Vice Chairman; Basich, Ranking Minority Member; Regala, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Beeksma; Cairnes; Elliot; G. Fisher; Romero; Sheldon; Stevens; B. Thomas and Thompson.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Jacobsen.

Staff:  Rick Anderson (786-7114).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended by Committee on Natural Resources.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives B. Thomas, Chairman; Boldt, Vice Chairman; Carrell, Vice Chairman; Dickerson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Hymes; Mason; Mulliken; Pennington; Schoesler; Sheldon and Van Luven.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Morris, Ranking Minority Member.

Staff:  Rick Peterson (786-7150).

Background:  The Department of Fish and Wildlife issues licenses for various commercial fisheries.  Participation in some of these fisheries is limited by restricting the number of licenses that are issued.

State law allows these licenses to be transferred with certain restrictions.  The fee for selling one of these licenses is: 1) equal to the resident renewal fee, if the license is not limited by the department; 2) three and a half times the resident renewal fee, if the license is limited by the department; or 3) the difference between the non-resident and resident license fees, if a license is transferred from a resident to a non-resident.  All fees are deposited into the general fund.

Summary of Bill:  The transfer fee for all commercial salmon licenses is reduced to $50.

The transfer fees for all other commercial fishing licenses are unchanged.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  (Natural Resources) The transfer discourages the sale of commercial fishing licenses and is an inequitable tax.  The fee is no longer supported by fishers because the fee is not being used to support hatcheries.

(Finance) None.

Testimony Against:  (Natural Resources)  None.

(Finance)  None.

Testified:  (Natural Resources)  Don Stuart, Salmon for Washington; Mark Cedergreen, Westport Charter Association; Ernie Summers, Washington Dungeness Crab Fisher's Association; Roger Attwood, Washington Trollers Association; Cyreis Schmitt, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; and Ed Owens, Coalition of Washington Ocean Fisherman (all in favor).

(Finance)  None.