Michigan Senate Bill SB0238

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/22/25
• Refer: 4/22/25

Caption

Natural resources: hunting; pheasant hunting licensing; extend sunset. Amends sec. 43525c of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.43525c).

Summary

Senate Bill 238 would amend Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to extend the sunset date for the state’s pheasant hunting license requirement from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2031. Under the bill, adults age 18 and older would still need a current annual pheasant hunting license, in addition to a base license, to hunt pheasants in Michigan, and the fee would remain $25. The bill preserves existing exemptions for people hunting only at licensed game bird hunting preserves, on private land (except land enrolled in the hunting access program), on public land in the Upper Peninsula, and for holders of certain lifetime hunting licenses. The bill also keeps in place the pheasant subaccount within the game and fish protection account. License revenue would continue to be deposited into that subaccount and used, upon appropriation, only for the purchase and release of live pheasants on suitable state-owned land. The measure does not change the structure of the license or the use of the funds; it simply extends the period during which the licensing and funding framework remains in effect.

Impact

SB 238 would amend MCL 324.43525c by extending the repeal date of the pheasant hunting license provisions from 2026 to 2031. As a result, the annual pheasant license requirement, the associated $25 fee, the listed exemptions, and the dedicated pheasant subaccount would remain part of Michigan law for five additional years. The bill affects pheasant hunters, the Department of Natural Resources, and the state’s game and fish protection account by continuing the existing funding mechanism for pheasant stocking and related management activities on state-owned land.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears routine and generally supportive of continued pheasant hunting management rather than controversial. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or debate in the available materials. The bill’s purpose, as reflected in its caption, is simply to extend an existing sunset, suggesting maintenance of the current policy rather than a major policy shift.

Contention

The main policy issue is the continued requirement that adult pheasant hunters purchase a separate annual pheasant license, which some hunters may view as an added cost or administrative burden. Any concern would likely come from hunters or hunting advocates who prefer the fee to expire or be reduced, while supporters would likely include wildlife managers and those who favor dedicated funding for pheasant stocking on state land. The bill does not indicate changes to exemptions or spending rules, so contention appears limited to whether the licensing program should continue beyond 2026 and whether the dedicated revenue stream should remain in place until 2031.