WILDLIFE VIOLATOR COMPACT                                                                      S.B. 1348:

                                                                                                      FLOOR SUMMARY

Senate Bill 1348 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Howard C. Walker

Committee:  Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following with respect to the Wildlife Violator Compact:

-- Require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to enforce the Compact (which Michigan entered pursuant to Public Act 235 of 2004).

-- Require the DNR to suspend the license privileges of a Michigan resident who failed to comply with the terms of a wildlife citation issued by another state that participates in the Compact.

-- Require the DNR to suspend the license privileges of a Michigan resident who was convicted of a wildlife violation in another participating state, if the conviction would have resulted in a mandatory suspension had it occurred in Michigan.

-- Allow the DNR to suspend the license privileges of any person whose privileges were suspended in any participating state, if the violation leading to the suspension would have led to a suspension under Michigan law.

-- Require the DNR to give a person whose license privileges were suspended under the Compact an opportunity for an evidentiary hearing.

-- Require a person who requested a hearing to surrender to the DNR any hunting and fishing licenses issued to him or her.

-- Make failure to surrender licenses a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days' imprisonment and/or a fine of at least $25 but not more than $250.

-- Require the DNR to suspend the licenses of a person who failed to answer a citation or a notice to appear in court, or failed to comply with a court order or judgment within a prescribed time period.

MCL 324.43559 et al.                                                  Legislative Analyst:  Suzanne Lowe

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on State and local government.  It would likely result in some minor increased costs related to evidentiary hearings that would be allowed under the bill, and related to a requirement that the DNR mail individuals convicted in other states notice of their license suspension, opportunity for an evidentiary hearing, and obligation to surrender any licenses. 

In addition, the misdemeanor penalty for failure to surrender a license could result in minor, perhaps negligible, increases in costs for county jails and/or probation offices.  Public libraries could realize some additional revenue from the criminal fine.

Date Completed:  11-8-12                                                   Fiscal Analyst:  Dan O'Connor

                                                                                                             Josh Sefton

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.