AN ACT to amend and reenact section 20.1-03-11.4 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to donations to the private land open to sportsmen program.
HB 1412 amends North Dakota Century Code section 20.1-03-11.4 to change the donation option tied to unsuccessful deer lottery license applications. Under current law, an unsuccessful applicant may donate the refund they would otherwise receive; the bill clarifies and updates that option so the applicant may donate the license fee refund to the Private Land Open to Sportsmen program. The bill directs that all money collected under this section be deposited into the game and fish private land habitat and access improvement fund and allocated to that program.
In practical terms, the bill preserves and reinforces a voluntary funding mechanism for private land access and habitat improvement. It does not create a new tax or fee, but it does affect how deer lottery license refunds are handled and where donated funds are credited within state game and fish accounts. The measure is narrowly focused on wildlife management and public access to private lands for sportsmen.
The bill amends section 20.1-03-11.4 of the North Dakota Century Code by revising the deer lottery license refund donation provision and confirming the flow of donated funds into the game and fish private land habitat and access improvement fund for the Private Land Open to Sportsmen program. It affects unsuccessful deer lottery applicants who choose to donate their refund, as well as the state game and fish accounting structure that receives and allocates those funds.
The available voting record shows unanimous support in both chambers, with a 91-0 House vote and a 47-0 Senate vote. No committee transcripts or recorded debate were provided, but the absence of dissent suggests the bill was viewed as a routine, noncontroversial administrative update supporting an existing wildlife access program.
No notable contention is evident in the provided materials. Because there were no committee transcripts and the bill passed unanimously, there is no recorded opposition or identified dispute over the donation mechanism, the use of deer lottery refund funds, or the allocation to the Private Land Open to Sportsmen program.