FINAL BILL REPORT

                  2SSB 6330

                         PARTIAL VETO

                          C 191 L 98

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Modifying provisions concerning recreational fish and wildlife licenses.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Oke, Jacobsen, Swecker, Spanel, Loveland and Rasmussen).

Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Parks

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Natural Resources

House Committee on Appropriations

Background:  In 1996, the Legislature passed a measure that prompted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to conduct surveys, perform inquiries and make recommendations regarding the simplification, modernization, and consolidation of Washington State=s recreational fishing and hunting licensing program.  This legislation is the result of those efforts.

Current law provides that fishing license fees and requirements are based on whether the fish being caught are food fish or game fish.  A person must obtain two licenses to fish for food fish and game fish.  Food fish license requirements and fees are administered under the food fish provisions of the fisheries laws.  Game fish license requirements and fees are administered under the game fish provisions of the wildlife laws.  Food fish include such species as salmon, whereas game fish include such species as trout and bass.

A personal use food fish license is required of all persons except residents under the age of 15 years.  The fee for a personal use food fish license is $8 for a person over 15 years and under 70 years of age, $3 for a resident over the age of 70, and $20 for a nonresident.  The fee for a three-consecutive-day personal use food fish license is $5.

A game fish license is required of all persons over the age of 15 years and under 70 years of age.  The fee for a game fish license is $17 for a resident between the ages of 15 and 70, $3 for a resident over 70 years of age, $20 for a nonresident under 15 years of age, and $48 for a nonresident 15 years of age or older.  A separate license is required to fish for steelhead.  The fee for a steelhead fishing license is $18 and requires that the fisherman have a valid game fish license.  For $6, a juvenile steelhead license is available for residents and nonresidents under the age of 15.

A personal use seaweed and shellfish license is required of all persons except residents under the age of 15.  The fee for a personal use seaweed and shellfish license is $5 for a resident over 15 years and under 70 years of age, $3 for a resident over 70 years of age, and $20 for a nonresident.

Hunting licenses are required to hunt wild game in Washington.  The fee for a hunting license in Washington is $15 for residents and $150 for nonresidents.  The license allows the holder to hunt anywhere in the state.

In addition to a basic hunting license, a separate transport tag is required to hunt deer, elk, bear, cougar, sheep, mountain goat, moose, or wild turkey.  The current fees for transport tags are:  deer - resident $18, nonresident $60; elk - resident $24, nonresident $120; bear - resident $18, nonresident $180; cougar - resident $24, nonresident $360; mountain goat - resident $60, nonresident $180; sheep - resident $90, nonresident $360; moose - resident $180, nonresident $360; wild turkey - resident $18, nonresident $60; lynx - resident $24, nonresident $360.

Summary:  A definition section is added to the current law governing recreational fishing which defines Aresident,@ Anonresident,@ Ayouth,@ Asenior,@ Agame fish,@ and Alicense year.@  Personal use freshwater, saltwater, and combination recreational licenses are established which replace the personal use food fish license and game fish license.  A combination license is established that permits license holders to fish for food fish and game fish in all state waters and offshore waters.

Authorization is granted to the commission to issue Adesignated harvester cards@ to persons of disability.  Persons of disability may have another person take or harvest shellfish, game fish, or food fish, but that person must have a valid license and must have a designated harvester card.  Furthermore, the disabled person for whom the designated harvester is fishing or harvesting must be present on site and possess a combination fishing license.  However, the licensed disabled person does not have to be at the specific location where the designated harvester is harvesting shellfish, but he or she must be within line of sight.  The disabled person needs to be present and participating in the fishing activity of the designated harvester.

A personal use saltwater, freshwater, or combination fishing license is required of all persons except residents under the age of 15 years.  The fee for a combination saltwater, freshwater, shellfish license is $36 for residents, $72 for nonresidents, and $5 for youth.

The personal use saltwater license fee is $18 for residents, $36 for nonresidents, and $5 for seniors.

The personal use freshwater fishing license is $20 for residents, $40 for nonresidents and $5 for seniors.

A family fishing weekend license is established with specific requirements relating to the permitted number of youths, residents and nonresidents.  The fee for the family weekend license is $20.

The fee for a personal use shellfish and seaweed license is $7 for residents, $20 for nonresidents, and $5 for seniors.  The license is required for all persons other than residents or nonresidents under 12 years of age.

The commission must adopt rules that sustain continued funding of enhancement programs at levels equal to the revenues generated from license sales representing the individual enhancement programs.

The definitions section of the current law governing hunting and trapping licenses is amended to add definitions for Ayouth,@ Asenior,@ Afood fish,@ Ashellfish,@ Aseaweed,@ and Alicense year@ which correlate and compliment the definitions section in the fishing license statute.  The youth category is defined as persons under the age of 16 years for hunting or persons under 15 years old for fishing.  The senior category means a person 70 years old or older.

Two categories of hunting licenses are created that replace previous hunting license fee requirements and tag fee provisions.

The first category, big game license, has five options and allows the holder to hunt for forest grouse and the individual species identified within the specific license package.  The big game #1 package permits hunting for deer, elk, bear, and cougar; residents pay $66, nonresidents pay $660, and youth pay $33.  The big game #2 package permits hunting for deer AND elk; residents pay $56, nonresidents pay $560, and youth pay $28.  The big game #3 package permits hunting for deer OR elk, bear, and cougar; residents pay $46, nonresidents pay $460, and youth pay $23.  The big game #4 package permits hunting for deer OR elk; residents pay $36, nonresidents pay $360, and youth pay $18.  The big game #5 package permits hunting for bear and cougar; residents pay $20, nonresidents pay $200, and youth pay $10.

A transport tag for one animal is included in the fee for each of the options.

The second category is the small game hunting license which allows the holder to hunt for all wild animals and wild birds except big game.  The fee for this license is $30 for residents, $150 for nonresidents, and $15 for youth. A fee reduction is provided when a hunter purchases a big game combination license package.

Freshwater, saltwater, and combination license fees under the provisions of the wildlife statute are identical to the comparable provisions in the fisheries statute listed above.

All hunting license fees are reduced to the youth fee amount for residents who are honorably discharged veterans of the United States armed forces and (1) are 65 years or older and have a service-connected disability, (2) have a 30 percent or more service-connected disability, or (3) are confined to a wheelchair.  Similar reduced fee provisions are made for all fishing license fees for veterans with disabilities, blind persons, persons with developmental disabilities, and severely handicapped persons.  The fee for a fishing license for these individuals is $5.

The migratory bird stamp replaces the migratory waterfowl stamp.  Migratory bird stamps are required for all bird hunters 16 years of age and older.  Revenue from the sale of the migratory bird stamp to waterfowl hunters must be used for migratory waterfowl projects.  Revenues from the sale of the stamp to nonwaterfowl hunters must be used for nonwaterfowl migratory bird projects.  The method used in determining the relative amounts to be deposited for use in the two projects is specified.

Language is updated to reflect recent legislation that created and provided administrative powers to the Wildlife Commission.  Language is similarly updated regarding the substitution of the term Afish and wildlife enforcement officer@ for Awildlife agent.@

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 44 3

House     97 1 (House amended)

Senate    34 11 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  March 27, 1998 (Sections 10, 24, 31-33, 37, 43, & 45)

          June 11, 1998

          January 1, 1999 (Sections 1-9, 11-23, 25-30, 34-36, 38-42, & 44)

Partial Veto Summary:  A section is vetoed that dealt with revocation of hunting licenses to persons convicted of big game poaching.  This section is recodified in ESSB 6328 and the veto makes the two measures compatible.

The section on retaining personal license information as confidential is vetoed.