HB 1536-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED
2016 SESSION
\t16-2188
\t10/05
HOUSE BILL\t1536-FN-A
AN ACT\trelative to funding for search and rescue operations of the fish and game department, and applying resident fishing licenses to use by the purchaser's family.
SPONSORS:\tRep. Brewster, Merr. 21
COMMITTEE:\tResources, Recreation and Development
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ANALYSIS
\tThis bill eliminates the search and rescue additional fees assessed to OHRV, snowmobile, and boat registrations, and makes an appropriation to the search and rescue fund. The bill also provides that resident regular, one-day, and combination fishing licenses shall apply to the family of the purchaser.
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Explanation:\tMatter added to current law appears in bold italics.
\t\tMatter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
\t\tMatter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
\t16-2188
\t10/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen
AN ACT\trelative to funding for search and rescue operations of the fish and game department, and applying resident fishing licenses to use by the purchaser's family.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
\t1 Fish and Game Search and Rescue Fund; Funding References Removed. Amend RSA 206:42 to read as follows:
\t206:42 Fish and Game Search and Rescue Fund. The [additional fee of $1 collected under the provisions of RSA 270-E:5, II(b) for each private boat registered, under RSA 215-A:23, X for each OHRV registered, and under RSA 215-C:39, XI for each snowmobile registered,] sums collected under RSA 206:26-bb shall be paid over to the state treasurer who shall keep such [fees] moneys together with any amounts appropriated by the legislature required to fund operations of the department in a special fund to be expended by the fish and game department for use in search and rescue operations. The special fund shall be nonlapsing. All funds received under this subdivision are continually appropriated to the fish and game department for the purposes of this subdivision. The fish and game department shall report to the fiscal committee on a quarterly basis beginning on October 1, 1989, on the expenditures made from the fund.
\t2 Appropriation; Fish and Game Search and Rescue Fund. The sums of $200,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 and $200,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018 are hereby appropriated to the fish and game department for deposit in the search and rescue fund established in RSA 206:42. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
\t3 Repeal. The following are repealed:
\t\tI. RSA 215-A:23, X, relative to the additional search and rescue fee for OHRV registrations.
\t\tII. RSA 215-C:39, XI, relative to the additional search and rescue fee for snowmobile registrations.
\t\tIII. RSA 270-E:5, II(b), relative to the additional search and rescue fee for boat registrations.
\t4 New Section; Resident Fishing Licenses; Application to Family. Amend RSA 214 by inserting after section 214:13-c the following new section:
\t214:13-d Resident Fishing Licenses; Application to Family. A fishing license purchased by a resident under RSA 214:9, II, II-b, or III shall have the fishing privileges granted in the license automatically extended to the family of the purchaser, provided the license is carried with the person when fishing and is available for inspection by law enforcement. In this section, "family'' shall consist of the purchaser, the purchaser's spouse, and the purchaser's natural, step, or adopted children under 16 years of age.
\t5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t16-2188
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t11/23/15
HB 1536-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT\trelative to funding for search and rescue operations of the fish and game department, and applying resident fishing licenses to use by the purchaser's family.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Fish and Game Department states this bill, as introduced, will decrease state restricted revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2017 and each year thereafter and increase state restricted expenditures by $2,000 in FY 2017. There will be no impact on county and local revenues or expenditures.
This bill appropriates $200,000 in FY 2017 and $200,000 in FY 2018 from the state general fund to the fish and game fund for the purpose of this act.
METHODOLOGY:
The Fish and Game Department states this bill repeals the $1 fee associated with the registration of OHRVs, snowmobiles, and boats, which is credited to the search and rescue fund. The Department estimates the reduction in revenue to the search and rescue fund from this repeal to be $180,000 per year. This bill does include a general fund appropriation of $200,000 in each FY 2017 and FY 2018 to the Department to be credited to the search and rescue fund.
The Department states this bill also permits a resident fishing license to also include the purchaser’s spouse and children under the age of 16. The Department notes that individuals under age 16 are not required to possess a fishing license. Additionally, the Department does not have data available to estimate how many spouses that current possess a license would no longer need to have one and therefore cannot estimate this provision’s impact on revenues.
In total, the Department anticipates a one-time added expense of $2,000 in FY 2017 to implement the changes of this bill, related to but not limited to educational outreach and software programming changes.