HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2169

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Natural Resources

Title:  An act relating to steelhead catch record cards and licenses.

Brief Description:  Authorizing a credit toward next year's steelhead fishing license for prompt return of a steelhead catch record card.

Sponsors:  Representatives Buck, Thompson, Pennington, Sheldon and Fuhrman.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Natural Resources:  1/17/96, 1/24/96 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives Fuhrman, Chairman; Buck, Vice Chairman; Basich, Ranking Minority Member; Regala, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Beeksma; Elliot; Hatfield; Jacobsen; Keiser; Sheldon; Stevens; L. Thomas and Thompson.

Staff:  Rick Anderson (786-7114).

Background:  Under current law, fishers who turn in a steelhead catch record card within a specified time period receive a $5 rebate on certain fishing and hunting licenses.  The $5 rebate can be applied to certain license or tag purchases that are  made on the day the catch record card is turned in.  

Legislation enacted in 1994 established a steelhead fishing license.  The license is administered on a calendar-year basis.  Steelhead catch record cards are administered from May to April, which corresponds to the timing of the summer and winter steelhead runs.  Due to reporting and allocation needs, the agency decided to leave the catch record under the May-April administrative cycle.  As a result of having different administrative cycles for steelhead licenses and catch record cards, a steelhead fisher who turns in a catch record will generally not be able to take advantage of the $5 dollar rebate.

Persons who fished for steelhead in 1994 were required to purchase catch record cards.  The fee for the card was $18.  In January 1995, steelhead fishers were required to purchase the newly created steelhead fishing license.  The fee for the license is $18.  A number of steelhead fishers have expressed concern that they were being charged twice for the months of January through April.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The department must issue a $5 credit toward the following year's steelhead fishing license to a person who returns a steelhead catch record card.

Persons who purchased a 1995 steelhead fishing license are eligible to receive a one-time $6 credit toward the purchase of a 1997 steelhead fishing license.  Persons who purchased a 1995 juvenile steelhead fishing license are eligible to receive a one-time $2 credit toward the purchase of the appropriate steelhead fishing license.  To receive a credit, a person must return a 1995 steelhead fishing license to the department or sign an affidavit stating that the person did purchase a 1995 steelhead fishing license.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:   The substitute bill adds provisions allowing a one-time credit to persons who purchased a 1995 steelhead fishing license.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The one-time credits should be handled by the department, not the vendors.

Testimony Against:  Many steelhead fishers paid double license fees from January 1995 to April 1995.  The department should provide a rebate to these persons.

Testified:  Ed Manary, Department of Fish and Wildlife (pro); and John D. Kelly, King County Outdoor Sports Council (con).