HB576: increasing certain fish and game nonresident license or permit fees.

HB 576-FN-A – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

06Mar2007… 0221h

2007 SESSION

07-0363

10/09

HOUSE BILL 576-FN-A

AN ACT increasing certain fish and game nonresident license or permit fees.

SPONSORS: Rep. L'Heureux, Hills 19; Rep. D. Smith, Hills 22; Rep. Reed, Merr 2; Rep. Fletcher, Hills 7; Sen. Gallus, Dist 1; Sen. Roberge, Dist 9

COMMITTEE: Fish and Game

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill sets a required minimum moose permit fee for nonresidents and increases the nonresident wild turkey license or permit fee issued by the fish and game department.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

06Mar2007… 0221h

07-0363

10/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven

AN ACT increasing certain fish and game nonresident license or permit fees.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Moose; Permit Fees; Nonresident Minimum Fee. Amend RSA 208:1-a, II to read as follows:

II. The executive director, with the consent of the commission, shall also adopt rules under RSA 541-A to regulate the issuance of licenses or permits, including the establishment of a lottery for awarding of permits to applicants, and to set fees for applications, licenses, or permits for both resident and nonresident applicants, provided the fee for nonresident permits shall be at least $450.

2 Wild Turkey; Nonresident Fee. Amend RSA 214:9, XI to read as follows:

XI. If the applicant is a resident and wishes to hunt wild turkeys, $5, and if the applicant is a nonresident and wishes to hunt wild turkeys, $30, and the fish and game department shall thereupon issue a wild turkey license or permit which shall entitle the licensee to hunt, shoot, kill and take turkey, except by the use of traps.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2008.

LBAO

07-0363

Amended 03/14/07

HB 576 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT increasing certain fish and game nonresident license or permit fees.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Fish and Game Department has determined this bill, as amended by the House (Amendment #2007-0221h), may increase fish and game fund restricted revenues by an indeterminable amount in fiscal year 2008 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local revenues or state, county, and local expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Department states this bill increases fees for various non-resident licenses and permits. Based on license sales trend data it appears that demand for permits is price sensitive. As a result of the 2005 increase for black bear permits there was a reduction of 35 non-resident permits sold for each $1 fee increase. It is assumed that this price elasticity applies to other permits except for moose permits or lost and duplicate licenses. The Department assumes demand for these two permits is inelastic over a relevant range. The impact on revenue based on the Current non-resident fee schedule and number of licenses sold in 2006 is as follows:

Moose

Wild Turkey

Total Combined

Current Fee

$300

$5

Permits Sold 2006

113

1,987

Total Revenue

$33,900

$9,935

$43,835

Fee Increase

$150

$25

Decrease in Permits (35/$1 Fee Increase)

N/A

875

Proposed Fee

$450

$30

Projected Permit Sales

113

1,112

Total Revenue

$50,850

$33,360

$84,210

Increase/(Decrease)

In Revenue

$16,950

$23,425

$40,375

There are separate dedicated accounts for management of the wildlife (moose and wild turkey) covered by each type of permit. The respective increases in revenue for the two types of permits will increase revenue to the respective accounts.