AN ACT to amend and reenact section 20.1-03-12 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to fees for game and fish licenses and permits.
House Bill 1147 amends North Dakota Century Code section 20.1-03-12, which sets the fee schedule for game and fish licenses and permits. The bill lists and preserves the state’s various license and permit charges for hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, commercial wildlife and fish activities, and related authorizations such as taxidermy, shooting preserves, and aquatic nuisance species fees. It also directs where the collected fees are deposited, generally into the game and fish fund, with aquatic nuisance species fees going to the aquatic nuisance species program fund.
The bill also specifies how certain revenues are used. In particular, forty-five dollars from each nonresident big game hunting license fee must be used for the private land initiative. The fee schedule includes reduced rates for certain residents, including seniors age 65 and over, residents with permanent disabilities, and qualifying disabled veterans, as well as separate rates for nonresidents and specialized licenses such as paddlefish tags, swan and crane licenses, and commercial clam permits. Overall, the measure is a comprehensive update and codification of wildlife-related licensing fees rather than a major policy change to hunting or fishing eligibility rules.
HB1147 affects state law by updating the statutory fee schedule for licenses and permits administered under the game and fish code, specifically section 20.1-03-12. It governs the amounts charged for a wide range of licenses and permits and confirms the destination of those revenues, including the game and fish fund and the aquatic nuisance species program fund. The bill impacts hunters, anglers, trappers, boat owners, commercial operators, outfitters, and other permit holders who must pay the listed fees, while preserving existing reduced-fee categories for certain residents and veterans.
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 93-0 with one absent member and the Senate 47-0, indicating unanimous approval among voting members in both chambers. No committee transcripts were provided, but the voting record suggests the measure was viewed as routine administrative legislation rather than a disputed policy proposal.
No notable contention is evident in the available record. Because the bill primarily restates and organizes fee amounts and fund allocations, there is no indication of disagreement over the underlying hunting, fishing, or licensing framework. Any potential policy sensitivity would likely center on the level of fees charged to nonresidents, commercial users, or specific permit holders, but the unanimous votes suggest those issues did not generate visible opposition in this session.