MENTORED YOUTH HUNTING LICENSE                                                     H.B. 4957 (H-2):

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

House Bill 4957 (Substitute H-2 as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Representative Gary Howell

House Committee:  Natural Resources

Senate Committee:  Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow an individual who purchased a mentored youth hunting license to apply for and purchase additional hunting licenses.

Under the Act, a minor who is less than 10 years old may obtain a mentored youth hunting license. The fee for the license is $7.50 and it must include all of the privileges conferred by all of the following: a) base license, b) deer license, c) all-species fishing license, d) spring and fall wild turkey hunting licenses, and e) fur harvester's license.

Under the bill, an individual who purchased a mentored youth hunting license could apply for or purchase additional licenses under current regulations, including all of the following: a) antlerless deer licenses; b) a bear hunting license; and c) an elk hunting license. An individual hunting with an additional license purchased in addition to a mentored youth hunting license would have to comply with all requirements of the Mentored Youth Hunting Program.

MCL 324.43502 & 324.43520                                              Legislative Analyst:  Jeff Mann

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have an indeterminate, but likely positive fiscal impact on the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and no fiscal impact on local units of government.  The bill would allow holders of a mentored youth hunting license to apply for antlerless deer, bear, and elk licenses.  Bear and elk licenses are limited each year, which requires prospective hunters to participate in a lottery for those limited numbers of licenses.  The application fee to join the lottery is $5, so an increased pool of prospective hunters would presumably increase the number of applications received each year. Increasing lottery participation would have no effect on the number of licenses issued for bear and elk, however, as those quotas are set separately from participation in the lottery. 

The DNR also establishes license quotas for antlerless deer, but those quotas are significantly higher than the quotas set for bear or elk and in many areas of the State the number of applications is lower than the quota. For antlerless deer, then, in addition to increased application lottery revenue, the DNR also would see an increase in the number of antlerless licenses sold.  All proceeds from hunting licenses and application lotteries are credited to the Game and Fish Protection Account, which receives a total of about $75.0 million to $80.0 million each year.

Date Completed:  12-7-17                                                     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.