FINAL BILL REPORT

                           ESSB 6125

PARTIAL VETO

                          C 255 L 94

                      SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Revising fees and procedures for recreational fish and hunting licenses.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Owen, Haugen, Sellar, Spanel and Winsley; by request of Department of Fisheries and Department of Wildlife)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON REVENUE

BACKGROUND:

Prior to 1993, hunting and game fish licenses were administered by the Department of Wildlife, and food fish and shellfish licenses were administered by the Department of Fisheries.  With the merger of those two departments, all licenses will be administered by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Consolidating the license categories into a single form is considered by the department to be more efficient and user friendly.

SUMMARY:

A sport recreational license is created to include the personal use food fish, game fish, hunting, hound and eastern Washington upland bird licenses, and warm water game fish surcharge.  The license may also include provisions for other special licenses.

Existing license provisions are amended to develop consistency between requirements for shellfish, food fish, game fish, and hunting licenses.  The senior personal use food fish license fees are set at $3, and a nonresident game fish license fee of $20 is established for juveniles.  The time period for a temporary license for food fish and shellfish is expanded from two days to three days.  Uniform residency requirements, expiration dates, and veteran and disability exemptions are established for all licenses.

A number of changes are made to the license provisions.  Fees for a personal use food fish license are increased by $1 to include the regional fisheries enhancement group surcharge.  A one-day game fish licenses is created, at a fee of $3 for residents and $7 for nonresidents.  An honorably discharged veteran, who is a resident and is confined to a wheelchair, may receive a hunting license free of charge.

Seaweed is added to the shellfish license to comply with provisions of SB 5980, adopted into law in 1993.  Crawfish are removed from shellfish permit requirements.

The director is authorized to establish by rule the conditions for issuance of duplicate licenses, permits, tags, stamps and catch record cards.  The fee for a duplicate license is set at $10 for licenses that are $10 and over, and for licenses under $10, the duplicate fee is the value of the license.

Licenses issued by either department in 1994 will be valid until their stated expiration date.

A warm water game fish enhancement program is created within the Department of Fish and Wildlife.  A combined approach of habitat improvement and fish culture will be utilized to improve warm water fish populations.  The new program will be funded by a warm water fish surcharge with an annual fee of $5.  Persons over 70 years old will be required to pay a $1 surcharge.  Persons under 15 years old may fish for warm water fish for free.  The warm water program will be restricted to bass, channel catfish, crappie, walleye and tiger musky.  A dedicated account is established in the state wildlife fund, subject to legislative appropriation.

The warm water fish surcharge takes effect January 1, 1995.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate    42   4

House     80   18   (House amended)

Senate    41   3   (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:June 9, 1994

              July 1, 1994 (Sections 14)

              January 1, 1995 (Sections 1-13)

Partial Veto Summary:  All sections that create a warm water fisheries enhancement program are vetoed.