State of Michigan DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Lansing
JENNIFER M. GRANHOLM governor		REBECCA A. HUMPHRIES director

BILL ANALYSIS

BILL NUMBER:	HOUSE BILL 5031, AS INTRODUCED
TOPIC:	Exempts individuals from license purchase during government shutdown
SPONSOR:	Representative Paul Opsommer
CO-SPONSORS:	None
COMMITTEE:	Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources
Analysis Done:	June 18, 2009

POSITION

The Department of Natural Resources (Department) opposes this legislation.

PROBLEM/BACKGROUND

Present fiscal conditions have resulted in the scheduled shutdown of state government for several days as a monetary savings. This will result in the closure of Department of Natural Resources offices that sell hunting, fishing, and furtakers licenses. This closure may affect the ability of recreationists to purchase these licenses.

DESCRIPTION OF BILL

House Bill 5031 makes it legal to participate in hunting, fishing, and trapping without a current license for the day of, and the day following a government shutdown. This legislation also mandates that Department-administered land under its control, must remain open to hunting regardless of staffing reductions due to funding.

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS

Pro

This legislation will allow recreationists to pursue their sport without obtaining a license during, and one day after a government shutdown. House Bill 5031 will also assure that all Department land will remain open to hunting, even if fiscal realities do not result in sufficient funds to manage and administer the lands.

Con

There are 1,602 Retail Sales System (RSS) outlets in Michigan, of which 1,556 are in private businesses (sporting goods stores, chain stores such as Meijer and Walmart,

party stores, and the like), while only 46 are at Department facilities. Many of the privately-owned RSS outlets are open seven days per week and for extended hours. In addition, licenses may be purchased 24 hours daily, seven days per week through the Department's e-license sales mechanism (as long as the electricity is on). This legislation has the potential to result in lost revenue for Department operations. Some people may hunt, trap, and/or fish during government shut-downs and the day following, but then not follow-up with the purchase of appropriate licenses.

The second source of potential lost revenue is through a possible diversion of federal funding requirements. Forcing all Department lands to remain open regardless of funding to administer the lands, may be seen as taking total land control and administration out of the direct control of the Department. There are situations such as managed hunts, daily refuge areas, and various day use areas that require staffing to hunt safely in many instances.

FISCAL/ECONOMIC IMPACT

Are there revenue or budgetary implications in the bill to the --

(a) Department

Budgetary:

None, unless diversion results

Revenue:

Minor lost license revenue

Comments:

None

(b) State

Budgetary:

None, unless diversion results

Revenue:

None

Comments:

None

(c) Local Government

Comments:

None

OTHER STATE DEPARTMENTS

None

ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION

Eliminating the section related to opening all lands to hunting without regard to funding, makes the bill less contentious to the Department.

ADMINISTRATIVE RULES IMPACT

None

_______________________________

Rebecca A. Humphries

Director

_______________________________

Date

WLD/OLAF