Revise license fees used for funding of upland game bird enhancement program
Summary
HB 372 revises Montana hunting license fees tied to the upland game bird enhancement program and several related hunting licenses. The bill increases the amount of revenue from certain license sales that is dedicated to preserving and enhancing upland game bird populations, and it raises fees for resident and nonresident upland game bird licenses, nonresident big game combination licenses, nonresident deer combination licenses, and combination sports licenses. It also adjusts some license prices to be indexed to the consumer price index, so future costs can change annually based on inflation.
The bill amends multiple sections of Montana Code Annotated governing hunting licenses and the distribution of license revenue. It preserves existing licensing structures, including resident-sponsored nonresident deer licenses and limits on the number of licenses sold, while changing the dollar amounts paid by hunters and the share of certain fees deposited into the state account used for wildlife-related purposes. The act takes effect March 1, 2026, giving the department and hunters a delayed implementation period.
Impact
HB 372 directly affects Title 87 of the Montana Code by amending statutes governing upland game bird funding and several hunting license classes. It increases license fees and modifies revenue allocations to the upland game bird enhancement program and related state special revenue accounts, which should increase funding available for wildlife management and habitat-related purposes. The bill primarily impacts resident and nonresident hunters, especially those purchasing upland game bird, deer combination, big game combination, and combination sports licenses, as well as the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which administers the licenses and revenue.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have generally favorable support in the House and enough support to ultimately pass the Senate, but the Senate process shows more division and procedural resistance than the House. House committee and floor votes were largely positive, with comfortable margins, while the Senate Fish and Game committee supported concurrence but the Senate floor initially rejected a concur motion and postponed the bill before later reconsidering and passing it. Overall, the voting history suggests the bill was acceptable to a majority, but not without significant debate or hesitation in the Senate.
Contention
The main point of contention is the fee increase itself, particularly for nonresident hunters and combination license holders, since the bill raises costs across several license categories. The Senate’s failed concur motion and temporary indefinite postponement indicate disagreement over whether the higher fees and revenue changes were justified, even though the bill was later revived and passed. The resident-sponsored nonresident deer license provisions and the CPI-based automatic adjustments may also have drawn scrutiny because they affect access, pricing, and future cost growth for hunting licenses.
Requiring a valid upland game bird stamp prior to taking any upland game bird in this state, except on private land, establishing the upland game bird restoration fund and requiring the department of wildlife and parks to use moneys from such fund for the procurement and release of upland game birds.