WILD TURKEY HUNTING LICENSES
House Bill 4860
Sponsor: Rep. Mickey Mortimer
Committee: Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
Complete to 8-20-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4860 AS INTRODUCED 5-31-01
Currently, Part 435 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA), concerning hunting and fishing licenses, requires that applications for wild turkey hunting licenses be entered into a lottery designed and operated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A person selected in the lottery is authorized to purchase a license. House Bill 4860 would amend the act to, instead, allow the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to issue an order requiring that all applications be entered into a lottery, and to amend other provisions concerning wild turkey hunting licenses, as follows:
· The bill would replace the current requirement that applications for wild turkey hunting licenses be entered into a lottery, to specify, instead, that the NRC could issue an ordering requiring that all applications for wild turkey hunting licenses, or applications for wild turkey hunting licenses for certain geographic areas, be entered into the lottery, subject to the requirements of the act (324.40113a) concerning the authority of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to regulate the taking of game.
· The bill would change the current requirement that allows the DNR to charge each applicant a nonrefundable application fee of up to $4.00 to specify, instead, that the fee could be charged for each wild turkey hunting license application that was entered into the lottery.
· The act requires currently that the DNR charge a nonrefundable application fee of up to $4.00, and that $3.00 of each application fee be used for scientific research, biological survey work on wild turkeys, and wild turkey management. The bill would specify, instead, that the portion of each application fee that would be set aside for this purpose would be the amount of the application fee, if any, but not more than $3.00.
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.