An act TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING HUNTING AND FISHING 10 LICENSES, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas           As Engrossed: H3/6/25 H3/19/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                       A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1632

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5 By: Representative Wardlaw

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8                             For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING HUNTING AND FISHING

10  LICENSES; TO REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS

11  STATE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION FOR FREE OR DISCOUNTED

12  HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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15                                  Subtitle

16                       TO REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS

17                       STATE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION FOR FREE

18                       OR DISCOUNTED HUNTING AND FISHING

19                       LICENSES.

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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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23  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 15, Chapter 42, Subchapter 1, is

24 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:

25  15-42-131. Reimbursement for free or discounted licenses.

26  (a) The General Assembly finds that:

27  (1) Revenue from hunting and fishing licenses is a crucial

28 element for funding state fish and wildlife agencies' conservation efforts

29 across the nation;

30  (2) However, well-intentioned programs to offer free and

31 discounted licenses to certain qualified individuals and groups have the

32 potential to reap deteriorative effects on the agencies' budgets;

33  (3) To prevent the loss of sportsmen-generated dollars for

34 conservation funding, some states have enacted legislation to require

35 reimbursements to the state fish and wildlife agencies from the general funds

36 for any free and discounted licenses; and

    *CRH074*                                                      03-19-2025 15:43:44 CRH074
    As Engrossed: H3/6/25 H3/19/25                                          HB1632

1   (4) The state needs to take action to ensure the conservation

2 efforts of the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission are protected.

3   (b)(1) The commission shall be reimbursed for lost revenue resulting

4 from the issuance of free or partially discounted annual resident combination

5 sportsman hunting and fishing licenses created by statute on or after the

6 effective date of this act in an amount equal to the discounts received.

7   (2) Subdivision (b)(1) of this section also shall apply to lost

8 revenue resulting from exemptions to licensure requirements created by

9 statute on or after the effective date of this act in an amount equal to the

10 amount of lost revenue from the exemptions.

11  (c) The commission shall:

12  (1) Maintain an accounting of lost revenue under subsection (b)

13 of this section; and

14  (2) Submit the accounting required under subdivision (c)(1) of

15 this section to the Department of Finance and Administration for the payment

16 of moneys in an amount equal to lost revenue out of the General Revenue

17 Allotment Reserve Fund on or before June 30 of each fiscal year.

18  (d) Within thirty (30) days of receipt of the accounting from the

19 commission, the department shall deposit the amount of lost revenue for the

20 previous fiscal year into the Game Protection Fund.

21  (e) The accounting required by subdivision (c)(1) of this section and

22 any other records relating to the accounting shall be subject to audit by

23 Arkansas Legislative Audit.

24  (f) Any reimbursement to the commission for lost revenue under

25 subdivision (b) of this section shall be made from the General Revenue

26 Allotment Reserve Fund subject to an appropriation by the General Assembly.

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28                                  /s/Wardlaw

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