Michigan House Bill HB5680

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/5/26
• Refer: 3/5/26
• Report Pass: 3/11/26
• Engrossed: 3/18/26
• Refer: 3/24/26

Caption

Natural resources: fishing; fee for license to use certain fishing devices; eliminate. Amends secs. 47328 & 47330 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.47328 & 324.47330).

Summary

HB5680 amends Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act provisions governing commercial and certain licensed fishing activities in waters bordering the state. The bill keeps the general licensing framework in place for using boats, nets, set hook lines, and commercial trolling rigs to take, catch, kill, or transport fish, but revises the statutory language to make the licensing process more direct and mandatory upon proper application and payment of the required fees. It also preserves existing exemptions for sport trolling and for taking fish with set lines in Lake St. Clair. The bill primarily updates the fee schedule and related licensing rules for residents and nonresidents. For residents, it retains a $16 annual fee for fishing with set hook lines or nets and a boat used for lake trout sport trolling for hire, and it keeps the per-foot and per-ton boat licensing formula for vessels used in net, hook-line, or trolling-rig fishing. It also maintains the rule that nonresidents pay five times the resident fee and that nonresident licenses for Lake Erie and Lake Huron remain subject to departmental discretion. The bill includes administrative details for under-ice fishing crews, identification cards, and boat identification requirements. In practical terms, the bill affects commercial and semi-commercial fishing operators, boat owners, and nonresident fishers by preserving and clarifying the licensing and fee structure under state law. It does not create a new regulatory program, but it amends existing sections to streamline wording and reinforce the department’s authority to issue licenses under the prescribed conditions. The caption indicates an intent to eliminate a fee for licenses to use certain fishing devices, but the text shown continues to include the fee provisions, suggesting the substitute version may have been revised during the legislative process. The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The bill was reported from committee with a unanimous 17-0 vote and then passed the House 98-6 with immediate effect, indicating broad support. No committee transcript is available, and the voting record suggests little organized opposition. The main point of potential contention is the treatment of licensing fees and the burden on nonresident fishers, since the bill preserves a five-times-higher fee for nonresidents and special restrictions for Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Another possible issue is whether the measure truly eliminates any fee, as the caption suggests, or instead mainly restates and reorganizes existing fee provisions. However, the available record shows no significant debate or split over those issues.

Impact

HB5680 amends MCL 324.47328 and 324.47330 within the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, affecting licensing requirements for fishing with nets, set hook lines, commercial trolling rigs, and certain boats used in those activities. It preserves the existing resident/nonresident fee structure, under-ice crew identification requirements, and departmental discretion over some nonresident licenses, while updating statutory wording and administrative procedures for issuing licenses and cards.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It was reported from committee unanimously and passed the House by a wide margin, with immediate effect, suggesting the chamber viewed it as a routine or technical update to fishing-license law rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

The most notable substantive issue is the fee structure, especially the higher charges imposed on nonresidents and the continued discretion to deny certain nonresident licenses for Lake Erie and Lake Huron. There is also some ambiguity between the bill caption, which says the fee for licenses to use certain fishing devices will be eliminated, and the text, which still contains fee provisions; that suggests the substitute version may have been adjusted during drafting or committee action. No recorded transcript indicates active disagreement, but those are the likely areas where concerns would arise.