ELIMINATE SUNSET FOR CERTAIN PESTICIDE APPLICATOR REGULATORY FEES
House Bill 5581
Sponsor: Rep. Phil Potvin
Committee: Appropriations
Complete to 7-12-12
A REVISED SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5581 AS INTRODUCED 5-1-12
BRIEF SUMMARY:
House Bill 5581 would amend Section 8317 (MCL 324.8317) of the Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (1994 PA 451) to extend the sunset on certain pesticide applicator regulatory fees. The fee for private agricultural applicator certification and for a private registered applicator – both terms are defined in the act – is currently $50 per application. Unless the act is amended, this fee would fall to $10 per application after September 30, 2012. The bill would extend this sunset date to September 30, 2015.
Certificates for private agricultural applicators and registered applicators are valid for a period of not less than three years. For a three-year $50 certificate, the effective annual application fee is slightly more than $16 per year.
State Budget Office documents indicate that the two pesticide applicator fees currently generate $125,000 per year. If the sunset is not extended, revenue from the fees would fall by 80%, ($100,000). Fee revenue is credited to a restricted licensing and inspection fee fund and is appropriated in the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) budget for pesticide and plant pest management programs.
Revenue from extending the current fee schedule was assumed in the Executive recommendation for the MDARD FY 2012-13 budget and was reflected in the enacted budget (Article I of Enrolled House Bill 5365) for the department. If the sunset is not extended the department would have to reduce baseline pesticide and plant pest management programs.
Fiscal Analyst: William E. Hamilton
■ 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.