MOURNING DOVE HUNTING - H.B. 5029 (H-1): COMMITTEE SUMMARY
sans-serif">House Bill 5029 (Substitute H-1 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Susan Tabor
House Committee: Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
First Senate Committee: Appropriations
Second Senate Committee: Judiciary
Date Completed: 2-17-04
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 401 (Wildlife Conservation) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following:
-- Include mourning doves in the definition of “game”.
-- Authorize the establishment of the first open season for mourning doves.
-- Direct the Department of Natural Resources to prepare, distribute, and post a mourning dove brochure.
-- Appropriate $350,000 from the Game and Fish Protection Fund for preparation and distribution of the brochure.
The bill would allow the Natural Resources Commission to issue orders pertaining to doves for each of the purposes listed in Section 40113a of the Act. (Under that section, the Commission has the exclusive authority to regulate the taking of game. To the greatest extent possible, the Commission must use principles of sound scientific management in making decisions regarding the taking of game. Before the Commission issues game-taking orders, there must be a public meeting and an opportunity for public input.)
The Department of Natural Resources would have to distribute the required mourning dove brochure through retailers that sell hunting licenses, and post it on the Department’s website. The brochure would have to do at least all of the following:
-- Provide information to help hunters distinguish mourning doves from other birds.
-- Provide information on mourning dove management techniques for the propagation of the species.
-- Describe how to hunt doves ethically, lawfully, and safely.
-- Provide information about special opportunities mourning dove hunting offers to youth hunters, the elderly, and the disabled.
MCL 324.40103 et al. - Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact depending on whether the addition of mourning doves to the definition of “game” would cause an increase in the sale of small game hunting licenses, or an increase in enforcement activities or fines related to dove hunting. In 2002, approximately 331,300 small game licenses were issued, generating $4,280,000 in revenue to the Game and Fish Protection Fund.
The cost to the Department to produce and distribute 500,000 copies of a comparable brochure on bovine tuberculosis in the past year was approximately $25,000, which is substantially lower than the appropriation of $350,000 proposed in the bill.
- Fiscal Analyst: Jessica Runnels
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.