S-3368               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4569

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Owen, Warnke and Barr

Read first time 1/16/86 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AN ACT Relating to sport fishing licenses; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds the current dual sport fishing license requirements of the department of fisheries and department of game to be unnecessarily complicated and potentially confusing to the general public.

          The director of the department of fisheries and the director of the department of game shall conduct a joint feasibility study on simplification and consolidation of sport fishing licenses, which may be otherwise defined as personal use or recreational angling licenses, into a single license document enabling a person to fish for both food fish and game fish.  The study shall also investigate simplification and consolidation of punchcards and other catch-recording documents into a single record.  Consideration shall be given to the following factors:  Maximum convenience to persons engaging in sport fishing, simplified format for the license dealers, fiscal accountability to the general fund and game fund, maximum efficiency of administration by department personnel, accuracy of biologic data collection, and acceptance by the general public.

          The directors shall present a joint report to the committees on ways and means and natural resources of the senate and house of representatives on or before January 1, 1987.  The report shall contain recommended legislation for implementing the findings of the directors.