SNOWMOBILE; TRAIL PERMIT; ORV.                                                                                                 H.B. 4206:

                                                                                                                                                                                SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                                                                                REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

House Bill 4206 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:   Representative John R. Roth

House Committee:   Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation

Senate Committee:   Natural Resources

CONTENT

The bill would amend Part 821 (Snowmobiles) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to designate, before the start of each snowmobile season, one weekend of each snowmobile season which a trail permit for a snowmobile would not be required to operate a snowmobile on snowmobile trails.  

MCL 324.82118                                                                                             Legislative Analyst:   Eleni Lionas

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on the DNR and no fiscal impact on local units of government. The amount of the impact is indeterminate and would depend on whether the bill caused a reduction in the number of snowmobile trail permits issued. If there were a reduction in permit volume, the fiscal impact would be equal to the Department's loss in snowmobile permit revenue. The fiscal year 2020-21 revenue deposited into the Snowmobile Trail Improvement Fund from snowmobile trail permit sales totaled approximately $6.5 million. Most of the trail permit revenue goes to support the recreational snowmobile trail improvement subaccount, but a portion is divided by statute between two other areas: the agent selling the permit ($1 per permit) and the DNR for administering the program ($0.50 per permit).

Date Completed:   3-18-22                                                                             Fiscal Analyst:   Ben Dawson

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.