PROHIBIT STERILIZATION OF GAME

House Bill 5321 (proposed H-1 substitute)

Sponsor:  Rep. Triston Cole

Committee:  Natural Resources

Complete to 3-13-18

SUMMARY:

House Bill 5321 would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) to prohibit the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from issuing a permit that authorizes the sterilization of game.

Under NREPA, the DNR has the authority to issue permits for a variety of reasons, including the taking of animals for the purpose of rehabilitating animals; the taking of animals to prevent or control damage to crops or feed, disease, or nuisance caused by the animals; or the collection, transportation, possession, or disposition of animals and parts of animals for scientific purposes.

The bill would add a specific prohibition against issuing a permit that authorizes the sterilization of any game until April 1, 2022. In the meantime, the DNR would be required to submit two reports on the results of research under any permit that authorized sterilization of game before the effective date of this bill to the Senate and House of Representatives standing committees with primary responsibility for natural resources issues. The two reports would be one preliminary report, submitted by December 31, 2020, and one final report, submitted by March 31, 2022. Both reports would include any recommendations for legislation, including whether and how sterilization of only deer should be authorized as a manner of taking game.

The Natural Resources Commission may establish special deer management zones for which a higher number of deer kill tags are issued in zones adjacent to urban areas with a high concentration of deer.

Additionally, the legislative body of a municipality may, by ordinance and as part of a deer management plan, adopt a firearm hunting distance requirement shorter than the current 150-yard requirement under NREPA.[1] The 150-yard requirement would not apply in circumstances addressed by the ordinance.

MCL 324.40114

FISCAL IMPACT:

House Bill 5321 is unlikely to have an impact on revenues or costs for the Department of Natural Resources. The department has issued permission for the sterilization of game under a scientific collector’s permit, for which there is no fee collected by the department. The prohibition of this purpose is not likely to generate nor prevent additional revenue. The number of permits issued by the DNR for the sterilization of game has been very limited, so any administrative cost savings realized through the elimination of this purpose would be limited. The bill is also unlikely to have an impact local government revenues or costs.

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Emily S. Smith

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Austin Scott

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

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