WILDLIFE VIOLATOR COMPACT                                                                         S.B. 16:

                                                                                                      FLOOR SUMMARY

Senate Bill 16 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Howard C. Walker

Committee:  Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following with respect to the Wildlife Violator Compact:

-- Require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to enforce the Compact (which Michigan entered pursuant to Public Act 235 of 2004) and effectuate its purposes and intent.

-- Require the DNR to suspend the license privileges of a Michigan resident who failed to comply with the terms of a wildlife citation issued by another state that participated in the Compact.

-- Require the DNR to suspend the license privileges of a Michigan resident who was convicted of a wildlife violation in another participating state, if the conviction would have resulted in a mandatory suspension had it occurred in Michigan.

-- Allow the DNR to suspend the license privileges of any person whose privileges were suspended in any participating state, if the violation leading to the suspension would have led to a suspension under Michigan law.

-- Require the DNR to give a person whose license privileges were suspended under the Compact an opportunity for an evidentiary hearing limited to specified grounds.

-- Require a person who requested a hearing to surrender to the DNR any licenses issued to him or her, and prescribe a misdemeanor penalty for failure to do so.

-- Require the DNR to suspend the hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses of a person who failed to answer a citation or a notice to appear in court, or failed to comply with a court order or judgment within a prescribed time period.

MCL 324.43559 et al.                                                     Legislative Analyst:  Julie Cassidy

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on State and local government.  It would likely result in some minor increased costs related to evidentiary hearings that would be allowed under the bill, and related to the requirement that the Department of Natural Resources mail individuals convicted in other states notice of their license suspension, opportunity for an evidentiary hearing, and obligation to surrender any licenses. 

In addition, the bill would create a misdemeanor for failure to surrender a license, which could result in minor, perhaps negligible, increases in costs for county jails and/or probation offices.  Public libraries could realize some additional revenue from the fine of $25 to $250 that could be levied against individuals who failed to surrender their licenses.

Date Completed:  2-7-13                                                    Fiscal Analyst:  Dan O'Connor

Josh Sefton

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.