2006 Minnesota Statutes

97A.055 GAME AND FISH FUND.
    Subdivision 1. Establishment; purposes. The game and fish fund is established as a fund
in the state treasury.
    Subd. 2. Receipts. The commissioner of finance shall credit to the game and fish fund
all money received under the game and fish laws and all income from state lands acquired by
purchase or gift for game or fish purposes, including receipts from:
(1) licenses and permits issued;
(2) fines and forfeited bail;
(3) sales of contraband, wild animals, and other property under the control of the division;
(4) fees from advanced education courses for hunters and trappers;
(5) reimbursements of expenditures by the division;
(6) contributions to the division; and
(7) revenue credited to the game and fish fund under section 297A.94, paragraph (e),
clause (1).
    Subd. 2a. Federal aid disposition. (a) Federal aid reimbursements under the Federal Aid in
Wildlife Restoration Act, United States Code, title 16, sections 669 to 669i, shall be deposited
in the game and fish fund.
(b) Federal aid reimbursements under the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act, United States
Code, title 16, sections 777 to 777k, shall be deposited in the game and fish fund.
    Subd. 3. Game and fish fund fees. To reduce yearly fluctuations of the game and fish fund
balance and to provide improved long-range planning of the fund, the policy of the state is to
make fee adjustments as part of the budget process. Agency responsibilities are:
(a) The commissioner of natural resources must make specific requests for fee adjustments
for all receipt items in the game and fish fund as a part of the fee report.
(b) The commissioner of finance must review the fee report and make recommendations
for each fee. The commissioner of finance must submit a six-year projection on revenues and
expenditures to the legislature.
    Subd. 4. Game and fish annual reports. (a) By December 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;
(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;
(3) money credited to the game and fish fund under this section and purposes for which
expenditures were made from the fund;
(4) outcome goals for the expenditures from the game and fish fund; and
(5) summary and comments of citizen oversight committee reviews under subdivision 4b.
(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).
    Subd. 4a.[Repealed, 2001 c 161 s 58]
    Subd. 4b. Citizen oversight subcommittees. (a) The commissioner shall appoint
subcommittees of affected persons to review the reports prepared under subdivision 4; review
the proposed work plans and budgets for the coming year; propose changes in policies,
activities, and revenue enhancements or reductions; review 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 subcommittees, each comprised of at
least three affected persons:
(1) a Fisheries Operations Subcommittee to review fisheries funding, excluding activities
related to trout and salmon stamp funding;
(2) a Wildlife Operations Subcommittee to review wildlife funding, excluding activities
related to migratory waterfowl, pheasant, and turkey stamp funding and excluding review of the
amounts available under section 97A.075, subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) and (c);
(3) a Big Game Subcommittee to review the report required in subdivision 4, paragraph
(a), clause (2);
(4) an Ecological Services Operations Subcommittee to review ecological services funding;
(5) a subcommittee to review game and fish fund funding of enforcement, support services,
and Department of Natural Resources administration;
(6) a subcommittee to review the trout and salmon stamp report and address funding issues
related to trout and salmon;
(7) a subcommittee to review the report on the migratory waterfowl stamp and address
funding issues related to migratory waterfowl;
(8) a subcommittee to review the report on the pheasant stamp and address funding issues
related to pheasants; and
(9) a subcommittee to review the report on the turkey stamp and address funding issues
related to wild turkeys.
(c) The chairs of each of the subcommittees shall form a Budgetary Oversight Committee to
coordinate the integration of the subcommittee reports into an annual report to the legislature;
recommend changes on a broad level in policies, activities, and revenue enhancements or
reductions; provide a forum to address issues that transcend the subcommittees; and submit a
report for any subcommittee that fails to submit its report in a timely manner.
(d) The Budgetary Oversight Committee shall develop recommendations for a biennial
budget plan and report for expenditures on game and fish activities. By August 15 of each
even-numbered year, the committee shall submit the budget plan recommendations to the
commissioner and to the senate and house committees with jurisdiction over natural resources
finance.
(e) Each subcommittee shall choose its own chair, except that the chair of the Budgetary
Oversight Committee shall be appointed by the commissioner and may not be the chair of any of
the subcommittees.
(f) The Budgetary Oversight Committee must make recommendations to the commissioner
and to the senate and house committees with jurisdiction over natural resources finance for
outcome goals from expenditures.
(g) Notwithstanding section 15.059, subdivision 5, or other law to the contrary, the Budgetary
Oversight Committee and subcommittees do not expire until June 30, 2010.
    Subd. 5. Pelting fees. The commissioner may pay a pelting fee to a person who recovers,
treats, preserves, or transports the pelt of a fur-bearing animal that is accidentally killed or is
lawfully taken under section 97B.655. The commissioner may adopt rules setting pelting fees
and governing their payment. The amounts necessary to pay the fees are appropriated from
the game and fish fund to the commissioner.
History: 1986 c 386 art 1 s 10; 1987 c 149 art 1 s 7; 1989 c 335 art 1 s 85; 1993 c 172 s
51,52; 1993 c 231 s 7; 1994 c 561 s 2,3; 1996 c 364 s 1,2; 2000 c 418 art 1 s 44; 2000 c 463 s
2,3; 2000 c 488 art 3 s 26; 1Sp2001 c 2 s 105; 2002 c 376 s 6; 2003 c 112 art 2 s 50; 2004 c 228
art 1 s 21; 2004 c 255 s 27; 1Sp2005 c 1 art 2 s 95; 2006 c 281 art 2 s 17