Purpose

This bill aims to reduce fishing license fees for Minnesotan residents who are 65 years old or older and to create a mechanism for compensating the state’s Game and Fish Fund for the revenue loss that results from these lower senior rates. It also updates the state’s resident fishing license fee schedule.

Key Provisions

• Creates a reimbursement mechanism to offset revenue lost from reduced fishing license fees for residents age 65 and older.
  • By August 15 each year, the commissioner of management and budget must transfer an estimated amount of lost revenue from the General Fund to the Game and Fish Fund.
  • By August 1 each year, the Department of Natural Resources must provide the number of resident licenses sold to people 65+ at the reduced fee.
  • The transfer amount is calculated by multiplying that license count by the difference between the standard fee and the reduced senior fee, to estimate annual lost revenue.
• Adds a new subdivision to set and update the senior (65+) reduced license fee (revenue adjustments based on the above calculations).
• Revises the resident fishing license fee schedule (Section 97A.475 Subd.6) to establish specific prices for various license types, including:
  • A reduced senior (65+) angling license (fee set at 15 dollars).
  • Standard adult license for ages 18–65 (fee set at 25 dollars).
  • A combined license for a married couple (fee set at 40 dollars).
  • Spearing from a dark house (fee set at 6 dollars, with the requirement to also hold an angling license).
  • Short-term licenses such as a 24-hour option (fee set at 12 dollars) and a 72-hour option (fee set at 14 dollars).
  • A license for ages 16–17 (fee set at 5 dollars).
  • Other multi-year license options (three consecutive years) and related pricing listed in the bill.
• Maintains that these are all “resident” licenses.

How it Changes Existing Law

• Amends Minnesota Statutes to formalize the process for reimbursing the Game and Fish Fund for revenue lost due to senior license reductions.
• Updates the fee schedule for resident fishing licenses to include a lower senior rate and various other license types, creating a more detailed price structure for fishing-related licenses.

Fiscal/Revenue Implications

• Creates a dedicated flow of funds from the General Fund to the Game and Fish Fund to cover the revenue shortfall resulting from the senior license discount.
• Establishes annual reporting and calculation steps to estimate and transfer the lost revenue, based on actual licenses sold to residents 65+ and the difference between the reduced senior fee and the standard fee.
• The estimated lost revenue is calculated each fiscal year and transferred by mid-August.

Implementation and Administration

• Key state agencies involved:
  • Commissioner of Management and Budget (transfers and revenue estimates)
  • Commissioner of Natural Resources (counts of senior licenses sold)
• Requires annual data reporting and interagency coordination to determine and fund the revenue shortfall.

Affected Parties

• Minnesota residents aged 65 and older (primary beneficiaries of the reduced senior fishing license fee).
• Other resident anglers aged 18–65 and younger ages (subject to updated fee schedule).
• The Game and Fish Fund and the General Fund (financial mechanisms affected by the changes).

Effective Date

• Not specified in the provided excerpt. (A later section of the bill, Sec. 4, is not included here.)

Relevant Terms - game and fish fund - general fund transfers - reimbursement for reduced fishing license fees - 65 years of age and older - residents - angling - fishing licenses and permits - sec. 97A.055, subd. 2 (amended) - sec. 97A.055, subd. 2c (new) - sec. 97A.475, subd. 6 (amended) - combined license (married couple) - spearing from a dark house - 24-hour license - 72-hour license - three consecutive years license - August 1 (data reporting deadline) - August 15 (fund transfer deadline) - commissioner of management and budget - commissioner of natural resources