HB1596: relative to the funding for search and rescue operations of the fish and game department and making an appropriation therefor.

HB 1596-FN-A - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

19Feb2020... 0266h

2020 SESSION

20-2432

04/05

HOUSE BILL 1596-FN-A

AN ACT relative to the funding for search and rescue operations of the fish and game department and making an appropriation therefor.

SPONSORS: Rep. Love, Rock. 6; Rep. Goley, Hills. 8; Rep. Forsythe, Merr. 8; Rep. Hopper, Hills. 2

COMMITTEE: Fish and Game and Marine Resources

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill provides that general funds shall be used for funding search and rescue operations of the fish and game department and authorizes the executive director of fish and game to invest in technology necessary to enable the solicitation and collection of donations. Such funds collected shall be credited to the fish and game search and rescue fund. The bill also requires the executive director to report biennially on the status of the fund.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

19Feb2020... 0266h

20-2432

04/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

AN ACT relative to the funding for search and rescue operations of the fish and game department and making an appropriation therefor.

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

1 Fish and Game Search and Rescue Fund. Amend RSA 206:42 to read as follows:

206:42 Fish and Game Search and Rescue Fund.

I. 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, shall be paid over to the state treasurer who shall keep such fees in a special fund to be expended by the fish and game department for use in search and rescue operations.

II. In addition to the funds in paragraph I, the state treasurer shall credit up to $200,000 annually from the general fund into the fish and game search and rescue fund. If the executive director determines that funds provided in paragraphs I and II are insufficient to pay for search and rescue operations activities in a fiscal year, the executive director shall certify the amount of the insufficiency to the state treasurer who shall pay such sum as necessary to fund search and rescue operations activities from the general fund. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for such sum under this paragraph out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

III. 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] and shall be used to fund search and rescue operations including, but not limited to salaries, training, equipment, and associated expenditures. 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.

IV. The executive director may invest in technology necessary to enable the solicitation and collection of donations. The executive director shall credit any donations collected under this paragraph to the fish and game search and rescue fund.

V. Beginning July 1, 2023, and biennially thereafter, the executive director shall submit a report to the house fish and game and marine resources committee detailing the status of the search and rescue fund. The report shall include details as to search and rescue operations and expenditures during the reporting period, and the remaining balance in the fund at the end of the reporting period.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.

LBAO

20-2432

Amended 2/24/20

HB 1596-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT #2020-0266h)

AN ACT relative to the funding for search and rescue operations of the fish and game department and making an appropriation therefor.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

Appropriation

$0

$0

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Revenue

$0

$0

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Expenditures

$0

$0

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Funding Source:

[ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ X ] Other - Fish and Game Search and Rescue Fund

METHODOLOGY:

This bill intends to provide General Fund support to the Fish and Game Search and Rescue Fund, however based on the language added to RSA 206:42, II, it is unclear how the General Fund support would be determined and therefore a fiscal impact for this bill cannot be estimated. For informational purposes, below is a summary of Search and Rescue Fund revenue and expenditures between FY 2015 and FY 2019:

Revenue

Expenditures

FY 2015

$231,486

($199,783)

FY 2016

$272,827

($305,544)

FY 2017

$339,273

($351,572)

FY 2018

$325,905

($305,536)

FY 2019

$407,893

($259,867)

Fund Balance as of June 30, 2019 = $18,610

Source: State Dedicated Funds Report

Additionally, this bill modifies allowable uses of the Search and Rescue Fund, which would likely result in increased expenditures, and may also result in increased donations.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Fish and Game Department