October 18, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Testin, Ringhand, Marklein and Olsen,
cosponsored by Representatives Tusler, Vruwink, Ott, Edming, Kurtz,
Quinn, Shankland, Sortwell, Spiros, Steffen, Wichgers and Subeck.
Referred to Committee on Sporting Heritage, Mining and Forestry.

SB508,1,5 1An Act to amend 25.29 (1) (a), 29.219 (4), 29.229 (2) (i), 29.2295 (2) (i), 29.231
2(2), 29.236 (2), 29.563 (3) (a) 3. and 29.624 (1); and to create 25.17 (1) (jf), 25.29
3(1) (g), 25.299, 29.219 (2g), 29.229 (2) (gm), 29.2295 (2) (gm) and 29.563 (3) (a)
44g. of the statutes; relating to: a resident lifetime fishing license, a lifetime
5fishing trust fund, and granting rule-making authority.

This bill creates a resident lifetime fishing license and provides for the
establishment of a lifetime fishing trust fund.

Under current law, with certain exceptions including an exception for residents
under the age of 16, no person may fish in this state unless the person has a valid
approval that authorizes fishing. The Department of Natural Resources issues
various fishing licenses, such as resident annual fishing licenses, one-day fishing
licenses, and two-day sports fishing licenses. This bill requires DNR also to issue
lifetime fishing licenses to residents.

Under the bill, a resident lifetime fishing license confers the privilege of an
annual fishing license. The holder of a resident lifetime fishing license must still
purchase a fishing stamp if the type of fishing in which he or she will be engaged
requires such a stamp. The bill establishes the fee for a resident lifetime fishing
license at 30 times the fee for a resident annual fishing license, which under current
law is $19.25 plus a 75-cent issuing fee. Thus, at the current rate, a resident lifetime
fishing license fee under the bill is $577.50, plus a 75-cent issuing fee.

Under current law, all proceeds from hunting and fishing license fees are
deposited in the conservation fund and appropriated to DNR for various purposes
relating to fish and wildlife management. This bill creates a lifetime fishing trust
fund and provides that all fees from the sale of resident lifetime fishing licenses are
deposited in that trust fund. The bill provides that, each fiscal year, all interest that
has accrued in the lifetime fishing trust fund and a prorated amount of the money
from each resident lifetime fishing license fee must be transferred from the lifetime
fishing trust fund to the conservation fund. The bill allows DNR to adopt rules
establishing a system for prorating resident lifetime fishing license fees for the
purposes of this transfer. The bill requires that the system for prorating these fees
must comply with the federal rules governing how lifetime licenses may be counted
for purposes of this state qualifying for funding under the federal Dingell-Johnson
Act.