Bill > H1059

This bill revises how fees for vessel registration and hunting and fishing licenses are adjusted over time. Instead of simply adjusting these fees based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers, the bill introduces a new calculation method. Starting in 2015 and every five years thereafter, these fees will be adjusted by multiplying them by a "growth factor" derived from the CPI. The CPI, as defined in the bill, refers to the not seasonally adjusted index for all items in the U.S. city average, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will round any fee adjustments to the nearest 50 cents and submit the updated fee schedule to the Division of Law Revision and Information for incorporation into the law. The bill also requires the Commission to report to legislative leadership by February 1st of each adjustment year on how the increased fees will be requested for use within the agency, with the fee increases taking effect on July 1st of that year. The bill also specifies that these adjustments apply to the total fee, not just the portion allocated to counties.