HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1871

BYRepresentatives Sutherland, Meyers, K. Wilson, Zellinsky, Basich, Anderson, Holm, Dellwo, Cooper, Spanel, Rasmussen and Dorn

Providing for food and game fish and wildlife licenses to be on one form.

House Committe on Natural Resources

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (16)

      Signed by Representatives Sutherland, Chair; K. Wilson, Vice Chair; Basich, Beck, Belcher, Bumgarner, Butterfield, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Haugen, Sayan, Schmidt, C. Smith, Spanel and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Bill Koss (786-7129)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES FEBRUARY 4, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Prior to the creation of the Department of Game (now Wildlife) in 1933, the sports angler faced the need to buy several licenses in order to fish.  Not only was a state license needed, but each county required a license.  The license sold by the Game Department allowed the angler to fish for game fish -- trout, warm-water fish, and steelhead trout.  A separate license, issued by the Department of Fisheries, was required in order to fish for food fish.  This license covered salmon.

Because two agencies administer fishing resources in Washington, sports anglers must obtain two separate licenses on order to fish for trout and salmon.  In 1986, the Legislature directed the two agencies to conduct an evaluation of the feasibility of combining all sport fishing licenses onto one document.  The agencies reported to the 1987 Legislature that they found the disadvantages of merging the licenses to out weigh the advantages.

Specific disadvantages cited included cost increase due to retaining up to 400,000 additional documents, more complex regulation pamphlets, and dealer reaction to the change.

The noted advantages included more timely reporting of salmon angler statistics, elimination of 3 forms used by dealers and sports anglers, a streamlined process for dealers, and consolidation of 380 duplicate dealer accounts.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  The recreational license sold buy the Department of Fisheries (the Hood Canal shrimp license, and the personal use license) will be combined onto the same form the Department of Wildlife currently uses to license hunters, anglers, and trappers.  The razor clam license sold by Fisheries may also be included on the license.  The Department of Fisheries will continue to be responsible for salmon and sturgeon punchcards. The Department of Wildlife will ensure that all fees collected will be remitted to the proper account.

An effective date of January 1, 1989 is established.  By December 15, 1989, the Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife will present to the appropriate legislative committees a report on a plan to combine onto one form the punchcards required for salmon, sturgeon, and steelhead.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The Department of Fisheries will retain the responsibility for the sale of salmon and sturgeon punchcards.  Razor clam licenses will be sold by the Department of Wildlife but need not be on the same document as the hunting, fishing, personal use, or Hood Canal shrimp licenses.

The report due in December, 1989 will review how to best administer the sales of all punchcards, as well as consolidating the punchcards.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 28, 1988.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Ray Ryan, Department of Fisheries; Cal Groen, Department of Wildlife.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Combining all licensing into one agency makes good sense to the license buyer. Concerns exist over the cost and the methods to deal with the sale and use of data from the punchcard both agencies sell.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.