19.3134.01000
Sixty-sixth
Legislative Assembly HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3045
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representative Becker
1 A concurrent resolution requesting the Legislative Management to consider studying the
2 feasibility and desirability, potential benefits and efficiencies, and potential implementation
3 processes for unifying the responsibilities and resources of the Game and Fish Department and
4 the Parks and Recreation Department under a single game, fish, parks, and recreation
5 department; and for unifying the law enforcement responsibilities and resources of the Game
6 and Fish Department and the Parks and Recreation Department with and under the Highway
7 Patrol.
8 WHEREAS, one of the Governor's five strategic initiatives for North Dakota is the
9 reinvention of government, and a significant element of this reinvention is unification and the
10 sharing of services and capabilities among state agencies; and
11 WHEREAS, the Legislative Assembly has traditionally agreed with, supported, and
12 ultimately is responsible for developing policy focused on more effective and efficient
13 government within constitutional guidelines; and
14 WHEREAS, the missions of the Game and Fish Department and Parks and Recreation
15 Department are similarly and ultimately focused toward public enjoyment of the outdoors and
16 conserving and enhancing the resources necessary for that enjoyment; and
17 WHEREAS, because of these similar focuses and the current programs and resources
18 each department has aligned individually toward the accomplishment of similar and mutually
19 supporting missions, great potential may exist to better benefit the people of this state by
20 unifying the responsibilities and resources of the Game and Fish Department and the Parks and
21 Recreation Department under a single game, fish, parks, and recreation department; and
22 WHEREAS, the Highway Patrol, Game and Fish Department, and Parks and Recreation
23 Department have responsibilities and resources dedicated in whole or in part toward the
24 enforcement of state laws and promoting public safety, employ sworn law enforcement
25 professionals trained to the standards of licensed by the same peace officer standards and
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 Sixty-sixth
Legislative Assembly
1 training board, and already provide mutual assistance to each other as well as local law
2 enforcement agencies as required in the shared pursuit of enforcing law and promoting public
3 safety; and
4 WHEREAS, because of these shared law enforcement and public safety pursuits, great
5 potential may exist to better benefit the people of this state by unifying the law enforcement
6 responsibilities and resources of the Game and Fish Department and the Parks and Recreation
7 Department with and under the Highway Patrol; and
8 WHEREAS, several other states, including states with significantly larger scopes of game,
9 fish, parks, recreation, and law enforcement responsibility, already enjoy benefits and
10 efficiencies associated with unified state departments encompassing game, fish, parks, and
11 recreation responsibilities, as well as law enforcement responsibilities;
12 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
13 NORTH DAKOTA, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:
14 That the Legislative Management consider studying the feasibility and desirability,
15 potential benefits and efficiencies, and potential implementation processes for unifying the
16 responsibilities and resources of the Game and Fish Department and the Parks and
17 Recreation Department under a single game, fish, parks, and recreation department; and for
18 unifying the law enforcement responsibilities and resources of the Game and Fish Department
19 and the Parks and Recreation Department with and under the Highway Patrol; and
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Legislative Management report its findings and
21 recommendations, together with any legislation required to implement the recommendations, to
22 the Sixty-seventh Legislative Assembly.
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