HUNTERS HELPING LANDOWNERS PROGRAM S.B. 717 (S-4): FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 717 (Substitute S-4 as reported) (as passed by the Senate)
Sponsor: Senator John Proos
Committee: Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 435 (Hunting and Fishing Licensing) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish a "Hunters Helping Landowners" program for the harvest of antlerless deer.
The program would have to allow an individual who was willing to harvest antlerless deer to submit to the DNR an application to participate, indicating the counties in which he or she was willing to harvest the deer. The person could not register in more than two counties. The program also would have to allow landowners who felt they needed additional antlerless deer harvested on their property, or a lessee with the landowner's permission, to contact the Department and request a list of the individuals who indicated a willingness to harvest deer in the landowner's or lessee's county.


The DNR would have to include in the list a notice that the Department had not verified that listed individuals possessed valid hunting licenses. On January 1 of each year, the Department would have to delete all information regarding registered individuals obtained during the previous year. The Department also would have to make available on its website a list of all the deer hunting licenses and permits available in Michigan, the qualification criteria for each license or permit, and a list of where to obtain one. In addition, the Department would have to indicate on all forms and information about the program that participation was voluntary.


The bill's provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2017.


Proposed MCL 324.43526a Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy

FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would result in a very modest increase in administrative costs for the DNR. The Department would likely have to promote the program in some manner, compile a list of interested hunters for each county, and then distribute the list of interested hunters to interested farmers. No additional resources would be appropriated or made available to the DNR for this program, so whatever resources the Department dedicated to fulfilling the requirements of the bill would come from existing resources.


Date Completed: 11-16-11 Fiscal Analyst: Josh Sefton

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. sb717/1112