SB 410-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

03/08/2018   1004s

03/08/2018   1019s

2018 SESSION

18-2849

04/08

SENATE BILL 410-FN

AN ACT establishing a commission to study creating a boat safe card.

SPONSORS: Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20

COMMITTEE: Ways and Means

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a commission to study creating a boat safe card.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03/08/2018   1004s

03/08/2018   1019s 18-2849

04/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen

AN ACT establishing a commission to study creating a boat safe card.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1  New Subdivision; Commission to Study Creating a Boat Safe Card.  Amend RSA 270-D by inserting after section 20 the following new subdivision:

Commission to Study Creating a Boat Safe Card

270-D:21  Commission Established.

I.  There is established a commission to study creating a boat safe card.  The commission shall be comprised of the following members:

(a)  One member of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(b)  One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

(c)  One member representing the fish and game department, search and rescue program, appointed by the executive director of the fish and game department.

(d)  One member representing the lakes management and protection program in the department of environmental services, appointed by the commissioner of the department of environmental services.

(e)  The captain of marine patrol, department of safety, or designee.

(f)  The chairperson of the exotic aquatic weeds and species committee established in RSA 487:30, or designee.

(g)  A representative of the Appalachian Mountain Club-New Hampshire, appointed by the organization.

(h)  A representative of American Whitewater, appointed by the organization.

(i)  A representative of the New Hampshire Campground Owners' Association, appointed by the association.

(j)  A representative of the New Hampshire Lakes Association, appointed by the association.

(k)  A representative of the New Hampshire Rivers Council, appointed by the organization.

(l)  A representative of a marine towing company, appointed by the governor.

(m)  A representative of a marine trade association, appointed by the governor.

II.  Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.

III.  The commission shall:

(a)  Evaluate potential mechanisms of funding for the search and rescue fund and the lake restoration and preservation fund, including equitability of charges or costs.

(b)  Evaluate a target level of funding needed for the various programs.

(c)  Explore the feasibility of a boat safe card using the hike safe card as a model, including:

(1)  Studying the revenues of the hike safe card, its implementation, number of purchases per year, cost to implement, and measured benefits since implementation.

(2)  Studying who would administer and implement a boat safe card program, how revenues would be split, and the possible costs and revenues of implementing such a program.

IV.  The members of the study commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members.  The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the senate member.  The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section.  Seven members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.

V.  The commission shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2018.

2  Repeal.  RSA 270-D:21, relative to the commission to study creating a boat safe card, is repealed.

3  Effective Date.  

I.  Section 2 of this act shall take effect November 1, 2018.

II.  The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.

LBAO

18-2849

12/13/17

SB 410-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT establishing a registration fee for canoes and kayaks.

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [ X ] Local              [    ] None

METHODOLOGY:

This bill establishes a $10 annual registration fee for canoes and kayaks with revenue, net of a $3 processing fee retained by authorized agents, being split $3.50 to the fish and game search and rescue fund and $3.50 the lake restoration and preservation fund.  While many surveys have been conducted as to participation in outdoor activities, the total number of canoes and kayaks that will be required to be registered under this bill, and the corresponding revenue, is indeterminable.  The Department of Safety estimates required one-time system programming costs to total $90,000 and also states it would require an additional cash terminal operator position (labor grade 11), which would cost (salary and benefits) $53,000 in FY 2019, $55,000 in FY 2020, $58,000 in FY 2021, and $61,000 in FY 2022.  As this bill does not provide a funding source to offset these costs to the Department, it is assumed they would be a charge to the navigation safety fund.  The navigation safety fund will also be utilized to purchase canoe and kayak boat decals.

The Department of Environmental Services states this bill will increase revenue to the Lake Restoration and Preservation Fund by an indeterminable amount.  As result, state restricted expenditures will increase and to the extent municipalities are the recipient of any grants or awards from the increased revenues to the Lake Restoration and Preservation Fund, local revenue and expenditures will increase.

To the extent municipalities process registrations, this bill may increase local revenues from authorized agent fees and local expenditures for administration costs.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Safety, Fish and Game Department, and Department of Environmental Services