BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
286 (Aanestad)
Hearing Date: 4/27/2009 Amended: As introduced
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy Policy Vote: NR&W 10-0
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SB 286 (Aanestad)
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BILL SUMMARY: SB 286 would allow the Department of Fish and Game
to issue an organization-based permit for the scientific
collection of plants and animals, rather than issuing individual
permits to each person working under an organization on a
specific project.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Reduced fee revenues Unknown, up to $100 per year Special
*
* Fish and Game Preservation Fund.
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STAFF COMMENTS:
Under existing law, the department is authorized to issue
permits, subject to regulations and restrictions, for the
collection and possession of plants and animals for scientific
educational, or propagation purposes. These permits are valid
for 24 months and currently cost $61.25 per permit.
SB 286 would allow the department to issue permits for the
collection or possession of plants and animals for scientific,
educational, or propagation purposes to a certified small
business or accredited aquarium in the name of the principal
scientific investigator of the organization. Such and
organization-based permit would cover temporary employees or
volunteers as long as the named permitee provides their names to
the department.
This bill allows the department to charge fees for the issuance
of the permit. The fee may be larger than the existing $61.25
permit fee, if the department determines that higher fees are
necessary to cover the cost of issuing permits.
The department states that it would still be responsible for
reviewing individuals covered under an organization-based
permit. Staff notes that fee revenues generated under this bill
would likely decline (because organizations would switch from
filing individual permits to filing a single organization-based
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SB 286 (Aanestad)
permit), while the level of review undertaken by the department
would not necessarily decline. This would likely increase cost
pressures on the Fish and Game Preservation Fund up to about
$100,000 per year (total current fee revenues).
Staff suggests that the author work with the department to
determine the appropriate level of review necessary for
individuals covered under an organization-based permit.
Staff notes that the costs to manage the existing program are
not fully covered by fee revenues. In 2008, the department's
costs were about $540,000 to issue about 1,600 individual
permits, which generated fee revenues of about $100,000. Thus,
while the department charged a fee of $61.25 to issue a permit,
its actual cost per permit issued was about $340. The remaining
costs to administer the permitting process are paid for from the
Fish and Game Preservation Fund, which is largely supported with
fees paid by hunters and anglers.
Staff notes that if the department were to charge permit
applicants for the full cost of issuing a permit, including the
review of all individuals covered under such a permit, the cost
per permit could be substantial. For example, under current law,
an organization with ten employees or volunteers currently
filing individual permits for each employee or volunteer would
pay about $600 in permit fees. Under this bill, the department
could charge the organization a total fee of $61.25 for the
group permit. However, if the department elected to charge the
full cost of issuing a permit, then such an organization could
be charged about $3,400 in permit fees (based on current
expenditures).