SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5439
As Passed Senate, March 10, 2001
Title: An act relating to fishing guides.
Brief Description: Modifying provisions concerning the licensing of fishing guides.
Sponsors: Senators Jacobsen and Morton; by request of Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines: 1/29/01, 1/31/01 [DP].
Passed Senate: 3/10/01, 47-0.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & SHORELINES
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Constantine, McDonald, Morton, Oke, Snyder and Stevens.
Staff: Ross Antipa (786‑7413)
Background: The Department of Fish and Wildlife licenses two types of freshwater recreational fishing guides: salmon fishing guides and game fishing guides. The two classifications of freshwater guides are a practice carried over from the days when the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Game were separate agencies with separate regulatory authority over salmon and steelhead.
The consolidation of salmon and game fish guide licensing into a single fishing guide license will result in more efficiency for the department and less complicated licensing requirements for guides.
Summary of Bill: Separate salmon guide licenses and game fish guide licenses are combined into a single fishing guide license. The resident annual fee for a fishing guide license is $175 plus $20 surcharge for fisheries enhancement. Nonresidents pay $620 plus $100 enhancement surcharge annually.
The director may require identification of guide boats for safety purposes.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 23, 2001.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: Combining steelhead and salmon guide licenses into a single guide license would benefit the guides and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: Bruce Crawford, Josh Weiss, Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; Clancy Holt, President, Sportfishing Guides of WA; Joe Little, Vice President, Sportfishing Guides of WA.