Bill No.: SF0041                  Drafter:  DKG

 

LSO No.:  05LSO-0216              Effective Date:  

                                  July 1, 2005 & immediate.

 

Enrolled Act No.:  SEA0112

 

Chapter No.:       225

 

Prime Sponsor:     Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee

 

Catch Title:       Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act.

 

Subject:  Wildlife and natural resource funding.

 

Summary/Major Elements:

 

·         Creates a wildlife and natural resources trust fund and provides a $15 million budget reserve account appropriation to the trust fund.

·         Creates an income account which receives earnings from the trust fund corpus and authorizes expenditure of those earnings for various natural resource projects.

·         Provides for a nine member wildlife and natural resource trust account board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate to authorize expenditures from the income account.

·         Creates a six member legislative committee appointed by the Senate President and Speaker (3 members of each house) to oversee actions of the board and provide recommended legislation for additional funding of projects.

·         Any one project exceeding $200,000 or projects cumulatively exceeding $200,000 in any one year must be approved for funding by the legislature.  (See comment below)

·         Projects up to $200,000 in any one year may be funded by the board without further legislative action.  (See comment below)

·         The projects are to be funded by grants from the board to nonprofit and governmental organizations, with a provision authorizing the board to participate with for profit organizations on projects, but not to divert financial resources to a for profit organization.

·         Imposes a number of restrictions on actions by the board and acceptance of funding, such as no right of eminent domain, fee title to lands to be accepted by and held by the board of land commissioners and not accepting water rights unless attached to property acquired in a permissible manner under the act.

·         Provides a $300,000 appropriation to the board for staffing and administrative expenses.

 

Comments:  Popular name – Wildlife trust fund.

 

The Governor line item vetoed part of the bill.  The per year limitation of $200,000 for small projects was removed.  Large projects (over $200,000) still require legislative approval.  Small projects do not.