PHEASANT HUNTING LICENSE; EXTEND SUNSET S.B. 803:
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 803 (as reported without amendment)
Committee: Natural Resources and Agriculture
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 435 (Hunting and Fishing Licensing) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to extend, from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2031, the requirement that a person purchase an annual pheasant hunting license to hunt pheasants in the State and the way that license revenue is used.
BRIEF RATIONALE
Currently, an individual may not hunt pheasants without an annual $25 pheasant hunting license. A portion of each license fee is deposited into the Pheasant Subaccount which is spent upon appropriation for the costs associated with the purchase and release of live pheasants on suitable State-owned land. Reportedly, these provisions were enacted to restore pheasant hunting in the State following a decline in pheasant populations. According to testimony before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, many people's first experience to hunting is pheasant hunting and without these provisions they may never be exposed. It has been suggested to extend these provisions to ensure the State's hunting traditions are passed on.
Legislative Analyst: Eleni Lionas
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a positive fiscal impact for the Department of Natural Resources. The bill would allow for continued collection of the $25 pheasant hunting license fees, which equate to approximately $175,000 annually. This fee revenue is deposited into the Pheasant Subaccount of the Game and Fish Protection Account. Current law ends the collection of these fees on January 1, 2026. This bill would extend the fee collection for five years, ending in 2031. Assuming that fee revenue remained consistent, this would total roughly $875,000 in revenue over five years.
Date Completed: 10-2-24 Fiscal Analyst: Jonah Houtz
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.