Relating to fur-bearing animals, including the establishment of a raccoon bounty program and fund and the assessment of fur dealer license fees, making appropriations, and providing penalties

Description

House File 2665 creates a Raccoon Bounty Program within the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and requires the Natural Resource Commission (NRC) to adopt administrative rules for the Program. The Bill creates the Raccoon Bounty Fund (RBF), which will be used to pay for raccoon tails that are presented to the DNR from trappers in the State, as well as provide the DNR with $0.50 per tail collected for the administration of the Program. Residents with a fur harvester license may only receive a bounty under the Program for raccoons taken during the raccoon trapping season established by the NRC and must check their traps every 24 hours. A resident that relinquishes the tails that have been collected at a monthly pickup event established by the DNR will receive a $5 voucher per tail. The resident must turn in the tails collected for the Raccoon Bounty Program in the county in which the resident resides. The pickup events are to be posted on the DNR website with the date and location of each event.

The Bill prohibits a person with a fur dealer license from relinquishing tails to the DNR for payment. The Bill also removes the fee for a location permit for nonresident fur dealers and sets a cap of the fee for a fur dealer license for both residents and nonresidents at $50. A person who attempts to relinquish a tail that came from out of state, was already brought to the DNR for payment, or is from a raccoon that was taken outside of the current trapping season is guilty of a simple misdemeanor. In addition, the penalty may include revocation of the person’s trapping license for two years and a civil penalty of not more than $250 per offense, which is deposited in the RBF. This civil penalty also applies to a person with a fur dealer license who attempts to relinquish a tail to the DNR.

Background

The NRC outlines trapping regulations and license fees through rule in the Iowa Administrative Code (IAC). Currently, 571 IAC 15 sets the fee for an annual resident fur dealer license at $264; a nonresident fur dealer license at $586.50; a one day, one location nonresident fur dealer license at $292.50; and a location permit for a fur dealer at $66. A fur dealer license is applicable for one location to conduct business, but residents can obtain a location permit for free, and a nonresident can obtain a location permit by paying the fee. The NRC also defines the dates and times of various hunting seasons throughout the year in 571 IAC 108. Currently, raccoon trapping season begins 8:00 a.m. on the first Saturday in November through February 28 of the succeeding year.

A simple misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for up to 30 days and a fine of between $105 and $855.

Assumptions

• There may be an increased number of fur dealer licenses sold; however, the reduction in cost for each license will keep license revenues near their current level.
• There may be an average of approximately 123,000 raccoon tails per year relinquished to the DNR for a total of $5.50 per tail from the RBF.
• The Raccoon Bounty Fund would require an annual appropriation of $677,000 of which $62,000 is estimated to be transferred to the DNR to administer the Raccoon Bounty Program and $615,000 would be paid to residents.
• There may be four collection events per year that require eight hours of staff time in each of the 99 counties, and the cost for staff at these events will be $30 per hour. The estimated cost is $95,000.
• There may be 10,000 participants that receive vouchers, and each voucher will take half an hour to process, and the cost for staff will be $30 per hour. The estimated cost is $150,000.
• There may be an increase in simple misdemeanors as a result of this Bill, but the number is unknown.
• Marginal costs for county jails cannot be estimated due to a lack of data. For purposes of this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day.

Correctional Impact

House File 2665 creates a new criminal offense. As a result, the correctional impact cannot be estimated due to a lack of existing data. A conviction for a simple misdemeanor does not result in a prison sentence but does carry the possibility of confinement in jail for up to 30 days. Refer to the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional Impact Statements, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to the correctional system.

Minority Impact

House File 2665 creates a new criminal offense, and the minority impact cannot be determined due to lack of conviction data. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Minority Impact Statement, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to minorities in the criminal justice system.

Fiscal Impact

The total net cost to administer the Raccoon Bounty Program is approximately $860,000. This includes $677,000 for the RBF and an estimated $183,000 in increased net costs to the DNR. The fiscal impact of a new criminal offense cannot be estimated due to a lack of existing data. The average State cost per offense for one simple misdemeanor conviction ranges from $40 to $400.

Sources

• Department of Natural Resources
• Legislative Services Agency