FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 6101

                           C 20 L 96

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Establishing a free shellfish digging weekend and including steelhead trout in the free fishing weekend.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Drew, Strannigan, Spanel, Snyder, Bauer, Rasmussen, Roach and Oke).

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

House Committee on Natural Resources

Background:  The Washington Legislature has authorized family fishing days in current law.  The statute allows the Director of Fish and Wildlife to adopt rules for family fishing days, which are those days when a recreational fishing license is not required in order to fish for food fish or shellfish.  Many states have similar programs to encourage knowledge of the fishery and to increase family use of the resource.

Summary:  The department may include steelhead trout on the free fishing day.  A separate shellfish day is established and no punch cards are required for any free fishing.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate    49 0

House     98 0

Effective:  July 1,  1996