The bill, HB 1199-FN, authorizes the Fish and Game Department to create a permit and fee structure for providing personnel, equipment, or expertise to other state agencies upon request, allowing the Department to recover costs associated with this assistance. The executive director is granted the authority to set fees based on actual costs, which will be deposited into the fish and game fund. Additionally, the bill modifies the provisions for lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, enabling the issuance of discounted licenses to residents under one year of age and changing the eligibility period for these licenses to allow purchases from birth until the child's first birthday.

Moreover, the bill establishes a nonlapsing Fish and Game Modernization and Sustainability Account within the Fish and Game Fund, which will receive funds from the prepaid Fish and Game License Fund. This account is designed to support technological modernization and outreach efforts, with provisions for transferring up to $600,000 from the prepaid fund in FY 2027 and FY 2028, and a continual annual appropriation of $50,000 starting in FY 2029, contingent on the prepaid fund balance. The bill also includes amendments to ensure that lifetime licenses are non-transferable and non-refundable, and it reclassifies interest earned on the prepaid fund exceeding five percent as unrestricted funds for general departmental use. The effective date for certain sections is set for July 1, 2026, while the remainder will take effect 60 days after passage.

Statutes affected:
As Amended by the House: 214:9-c, 6:12
As Amended by the Senate: 214:9-c, 6:12
Version adopted by both bodies: 214:9-c, 6:12