SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 869 (as reported without amendment)
Committee: Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 487 (Sport Fishing) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to eliminate the prescribed open season for black bass.
Part 487 prohibits a person from taking, catching, or killing or attempting to take, catch, or kill any fish of certain species in any waters over which the State has jurisdiction except during prescribed open seasons.
Generally, the open season for largemouth and smallmouth black bass is from the Saturday immediately preceding Memorial Day to December 31. In Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers, however, the open season is from the third Saturday in June to December 31. The bill would eliminate these provisions. (Part 487 grants the Natural Resources Commission the exclusive authority to regulate the taking of fish, by issuing orders. In the absence of a statutorily prescribed open season, this provision would apply.)
MCL 324.48716 Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minor, but likely positive, fiscal impact on the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and no fiscal impact on local units of government. To the extent that allowing bass fishing year-round resulted in the sale of more fishing licenses, the DNR could receive additional Game and Fish Protection Fund revenue, which is derived from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.
Date Completed: 3-24-14 Fiscal Analyst: Josh Sefton
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.