FISCAL NOTE

Date Requested: February 13, 2017
Time Requested: 01:31 PM
Agency: Natural Resources, WV Division of
CBD Number: Version: Bill Number: Resolution Number:
1617 Introduced HB2362
CBD Subject: Natural Resources


FUND(S):

3200

Sources of Revenue:

Special Fund

Legislation creates:

Neither Program nor Fund



Fiscal Note Summary


Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.


The purpose of this bill is to require that all licenses and permits be valid for one year starting with and lasting through the last day of the month in which the licensee was born as opposed to the current situation where licenses are valid starting with the date of purchase and lasting through the calendar year in which they are issued. For this analysis we will assume that the intent of this bill is to have hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses work like a DMV license plate, but only for one year maximum with the renewal due at the end of the month of birth. If this is not the case this fiscal note will be invalid. The Division of Natural Resources’ electronic license system cannot currently issue and administer licenses that would be effective for one year from the end of the month in which the applicant was born. This bill would require significant reprogramming cost for the electronic licensing system. Furthermore this would unnecessarily inconvenience our license buyers who like to hunt deer during the Archery and Gun seasons and are born in October and November. For these people to hunt in the traditional fall deer seasons they would need to buy two licenses since their current license would expire on either October 31 or November 30 and buck gun season traditionally starts the week of Thanksgiving and extends into December.



Fiscal Note Detail


Effect of Proposal Fiscal Year
2017
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
2018
Increase/Decrease
(use"-")
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation)
1. Estmated Total Cost 0 250,000 0
Personal Services 0 0 0
Current Expenses 0 0 0
Repairs and Alterations 0 250,000 0
Assets 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0
2. Estimated Total Revenues 0 0 0


Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):


Estimated cost required to re-program electronic license system to account for date-of-sale to end of birth month purchases = $250,000.



Memorandum


This bill is vague in its language as to the length of time the license would be valid. As written this bill would require a person who was born in December to buy their hunting license for the following year before the end of December of the current year. Otherwise their license would not be valid until the end of December of the following year. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources staff has made the assumption that the intent of this bill is to have a license be valid from the date of purchase if the birth month has already past in the current year.



    Person submitting Fiscal Note: Randy Tucker
    Email Address: Randy.L.Tucker@wv.gov