The bill amends the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act by establishing a requirement for individuals aged 18 and older to obtain a current annual pheasant hunting license, which costs $25. This license is in addition to the base license required for hunting. Certain individuals are exempt from this requirement, including those hunting at licensed game bird preserves, on private land (excluding land in the hunting access program), on public land in the Upper Peninsula, and those holding specific lifetime licenses.

Additionally, the bill creates a pheasant subaccount within the game and fish protection account, where fees collected from the pheasant hunting licenses will be deposited. The state treasurer is responsible for managing this subaccount, ensuring that funds do not lapse at the end of the fiscal year, and directing investments. The department will use the funds from this subaccount for the purchase and release of live pheasants on state-owned land suitable for their habitat. Notably, the previous provision that would have transferred funds from the subaccount to the game and fish protection account on January 1, 2026, has been deleted, and the section that would have repealed this law has also been removed.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 324.43525