AK HB41

Establishes a new Chapter 12 in AS 16 creating a shellfish enhancement project permit system for nonprofit corporations, with application fees set by the Department of Fish and Game to cover actual regulatory costs.

Requires public hearings at least 30 days before shellfish enhancement permit issuance with notice published in local newspapers for three consecutive weeks.

Permits shellfish enhancement operators to harvest and sell surplus shellfish to obtain funds for operating costs, debt retirement, facility expansion, research, and fishery management; shellfish must meet commercial quality standards and market prices.

Allows permit holders to participate in common property fisheries in designated special harvest areas with assessments capped at 50 percent of shellfish value collected by licensed fish buyers and remitted to the Department of Revenue.

Authorizes nonprofit organizations holding shellfish enhancement permits to obtain special harvest area entry permits and exempts income from shellfish sales and cost recovery fisheries from corporate income tax.