Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Fiscal Note
                                       Fiscal Services Division
SF 553 – Hunting, Nonresident Family Purchasing Resident Tags (LSB1777SZ)
Staff Contact: Austin Brinks (515.725.2200) austin.brinks@legis.iowa.gov
Fiscal Note Version – New
Description
Senate File 553 creates a new special nonresident family member deer hunting license for one-
half the fee of a regular nonresident deer hunting license. The Bill defines a family member as a
person who is a parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sibling, stepsibling, grandparent,
grandchild, or spouse. The license may only be used by a nonresident while hunting with a
resident family member on the property for which the resident family member received a
resident landowner deer hunting license. The special license grants a nonresident family
member the same privileges as a resident license and is not subject to requirements or quotas
imposed on nonresidents. However, the nonresident must purchase an annual nonresident
hunting license in addition to the deer hunting license.
Background
The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) is limited to issuing 6,000 nonresident antlered or
any-sex deer hunting licenses annually. After the limit is reached, the NRC may determine a
number of nonresident antlerless-only deer hunting licenses to issue. To hunt in Iowa,
nonresidents are required to purchase a nonresident annual hunting license including a habitat
fee, purchase a nonresident deer hunting license, and pay a $1 fee to support deer herd
population management and the processing of deer donated to the Help Us Stop Hunger
(HUSH) Program. If the nonresident deer hunting license is for antlered or any-sex deer, the
nonresident must also purchase an antlerless-only deer hunting license. The price of a
nonresident antlered or any-sex deer license is $348.50, and the price of a nonresident annual
hunting and habitat combination license is $144. Nonresidents under the age of 18 qualify for
an annual hunting and habitat license for $45.
Iowa Code section 483A.24(2)(c) allows qualified resident owners or tenants of a farm unit, or
their child or spouse, to apply for one antlered or any-sex deer hunting license and one
antlerless-only deer hunting license for free. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
reports that in FY 2022, there were 31,000 resident landowner or tenant any-sex deer hunting
licenses sold.
Fees from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses are deposited in the Fish and Wildlife Trust
Fund, which is used for fish and wildlife research, education, management, and expansion of
wildlife opportunities. The Fund is constitutionally protected and must be used for these
purposes by the DNR.
Assumptions
• The DNR will require a one-time programming expense of $1,000 to program, test, and
   update its electronic licensing system for the new license type.
• The DNR estimates it will take one hour to process an application for the new license, and
   the DNR will require additional full-time equivalent (FTE) positions to process applications,
   depending on the number of special licenses sold.
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•   There will be an increase in the number of annual nonresident hunting and habitat licenses
    sold at a cost of $144.
•   The new deer hunting licenses that are sold will be antlered or any-sex licenses sold at a
    cost of $174.75.
•   It is unknown how many licenses will be sold as a result of the Bill.
•   It is assumed that half the resident land owners that applied for a license in FY 2022 would
    have a nonresident family member apply for the new license.
Fiscal Impact
Table 1 provides a range of revenue increases to the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund from the sale
of the new license created in the Bill, as well as an increase in annual hunting and habitat
licenses. The total price for the new license and a hunting and habitat combination license is
$318.75.
                                               Table 1
                    Estimated Revenue Increase to the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund
                    300 Licenses Sold            7,500 Licenses Sold         15,000 Licences Sold
                          $95,625                     $2,390,625                   $4,781,250
The DNR will incur a one-time $1,000 estimated programming expense.
The DNR may require additional FTE positions depending on how many new licenses are sold.
However, since the number of licenses sold is unknown, the number of FTE positions needed to
process applications is also unknown. The DNR estimates that each new FTE position required
would cost $50,000 per position.
Sources
Department of Natural Resources
Legislative Services Agency
                                                                               /s/ Jennifer Acton
                                                                                March 24, 2023
Doc ID 1370993
The fiscal note for this Bill was prepared pursuant to Joint Rule 17 and the Iowa Code. Data used in developing this
fiscal note is available from the Fiscal Services Division of the Legislative Services Agency upon request.
                                                 www.legis.iowa.gov
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Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 483A.8