FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESB 6277

                          C 234 L 96

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Providing vouchers for game fish licenses.

Sponsors:  Senator Drew.

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

House Committee on Natural Resources

Background:  Steelhead licenses were administered by the former Department of Wildlife and were valid from May 1 until April 30.  When the Department of Wildlife merged with the Department of Fisheries in 1994, the validity of steelhead licenses became coincidental with calendar years, to provide consistency with other licenses administered by the Department of Fisheries.  Persons who purchased steelhead licenses after May 1, 1995, received licenses that expired on December 31, 1995, instead of April 30, 1996.

Persons who return steelhead catch record cards to an authorized license dealer within 30 days of the card's expiration are given a $5 credit toward any license, permit, transport tag, or stamp purchased that day.

Summary:  Persons who return a 1995 steelhead license to the department are issued a credit worth one-third of the cost of the 1995 license toward a 1997 steelhead license.  Alternatively, a person may obtain a credit by submitting an affidavit to the department.  The credit is worth $2 for a juvenile steelhead license and $6 for other steelhead licenses.  The provisions regarding these credits expire on December 31, 1997.

Persons who return steelhead catch record cards to the department within 30 days of the card's expiration are issued a $5 credit toward the purchase of the next year's steelhead license.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate    49 0

House     95 0 (House amended)

Senate    48 0 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  June 6, 1996