Minnesota Session Laws - 1996, Regular Session

  
    
KEY: stricken = old language to be removed
     underscored = new language to be added
    
                            CHAPTER 364-S.F.No. 1775 
                  An act relating to game and fish; requiring a turkey 
                  stamp; setting a fee; directing use of proceeds; 
                  amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, sections 97A.055, 
                  subdivisions 4 and 4a; 97A.075, by adding a 
                  subdivision; 97A.475, subdivision 5; 97B.603; and 
                  97B.721. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.055, 
        subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 4.  [ANNUAL REPORTS.] (a) By November 15 each year, 
        the commissioner shall submit to the legislative committees 
        having jurisdiction over appropriations and the environment and 
        natural resources reports on each of the following: 
           (1) the amount of revenue from the following and purposes 
        for which expenditures were made: 
           (i) the small game license surcharge under section 97A.475, 
        subdivision 4; 
           (ii) the Minnesota migratory waterfowl stamp under section 
        97A.475, subdivision 5, clause (1); 
           (iii) the trout and salmon stamp under section 97A.475, 
        subdivision 10; and 
           (iv) the pheasant stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision 
        5, clause (2); and 
           (v) the turkey stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision 5, 
        clause (3); 
           (2) the amounts available under section 97A.075, 
        subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) and (c), and the purposes for 
        which these amounts were spent; and 
           (3) money credited to the game and fish fund under this 
        section and purposes for which expenditures were made from the 
        fund. 
           (b) The report must include the commissioner's 
        recommendations, if any, for changes in the laws relating to the 
        stamps and surcharge referenced in paragraph (a).  
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.055, 
        subdivision 4a, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 4a.  [CITIZEN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES.] (a) The 
        commissioner shall appoint committees of affected persons to 
        review the reports prepared under subdivision 4 and other 
        relevant information and make recommendations to the legislature 
        and the commissioner for improvements in the management and use 
        of money in the game and fish fund. 
           (b) The commissioner shall appoint the following committees:
           (1) a committee to review the annual game and fish fund 
        report and address general game and fish fund issues; 
           (2) a committee to address funding issues related to 
        fishing; 
           (3) a committee to review the report on the small game 
        license surcharge and the report required in subdivision 4, 
        paragraph (a), clause (2), and address funding issues related to 
        hunting; 
           (4) a committee to review the trout and salmon stamp report 
        and address funding issues related to trout and salmon; 
           (5) a committee to review the report on the migratory 
        waterfowl stamp and address funding issues related to migratory 
        waterfowl; and 
           (6) a committee to review the report on the pheasant stamp 
        and address funding issues related to pheasants; and 
           (7) a committee to review the report on the turkey stamp 
        and address funding issues related to wild turkeys. 
           Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.075, is 
        amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
           Subd. 5.  [TURKEY STAMPS.] (a) Ninety percent of the 
        revenue from turkey stamps must be credited to the wild turkey 
        management account.  Money in the account may be used only for: 
           (1) the development, restoration, and maintenance of 
        suitable habitat for wild turkeys on public and private land 
        including forest stand improvement and establishment of nesting 
        cover, winter roost area, and reliable food sources; 
           (2) acquisitions of, or easements on, critical wild turkey 
        habitat; 
           (3) reimbursement of expenditures to provide wild turkey 
        habitat on public and private land; 
           (4) trapping and transplantation of wild turkeys; and 
           (5) the promotion of turkey habitat development and 
        maintenance, population surveys and monitoring, and research. 
           (b) Money in the account may not be used for: 
           (1) costs unless they are directly related to a specific 
        parcel of land under paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (3), a 
        specific trap and transplant project under paragraph (a), clause 
        (4), or to specific promotional or evaluative activities under 
        paragraph (a), clause (5); or 
           (2) any permanent personnel costs. 
           Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.475, 
        subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 5.  [HUNTING STAMPS.] Fees for the following stamps 
        are: 
           (1) migratory waterfowl stamp, $5; and 
           (2) pheasant stamp, $5; and 
           (3) turkey stamp, $5.  
           Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97B.603, is 
        amended to read: 
           97B.603 [SMALL GAME PARTY HUNTING.] 
           While two or more persons are hunting small game as a party 
        and maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact, a member of 
        the party may take and possess more than one limit of small 
        game, but the total number of small game taken and possessed by 
        the party may not exceed the limit of the number of persons in 
        the party that may take and possess small game.  This section 
        does not apply to the hunting of migratory game birds or 
        turkeys, except that a licensed turkey hunter may assist another 
        licensed turkey hunter for the same zone and time period as long 
        as the hunter does not shoot or tag a turkey for the other 
        hunter. 
           Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97B.721, is 
        amended to read: 
           97B.721 [LICENSE AND STAMP REQUIRED TO TAKE TURKEY; TAGGING 
        AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.] 
           (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a person may not 
        take a turkey without a turkey license and a turkey stamp in 
        possession. 
           (b) The requirement in paragraph (a) to possess a turkey 
        stamp does not apply to persons under age 18. 
           (c) The commissioner may by rule prescribe requirements for 
        the tagging and registration of turkeys. 
           Sec. 7.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           This act is effective March 1, 1997, and applies to 
        licenses issued beginning with the 1997 license year. 
           Presented to the governor March 21, 1996 
           Signed by the governor March 22, 1996, 10:52 a.m.