GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

 SESSION 2011

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 821

Short Title:        Study Coastal Fishing & Boating License Fees.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Brown, Goolsby, and Rabon.
Referred to:	Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources.

May 21, 2012

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to direct the director of the division of marine fisheries of the department of environment and natural resources and the executive director of the Wildlife resources commission to jointly study fees associated with the issuance of coastal fishing licenses and the numbering and titling of vessels.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide funding for the dredging and maintenance of the State's coastal inlets from fees charged to those who make use of the inlets.

SECTION 2.  In order to identify possible sources of funds for the purposes set out in Section 1 of this act, the Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Executive Director of the Wildlife Resources Commission shall jointly study the fees associated with the issuance of coastal fishing licenses pursuant to Chapter 113 of the General Statutes and the numbering and titling of vessels pursuant to Chapter 75A of the General Statutes.

(1)        For coastal fishing licenses, the Director and Executive Director shall specifically:

(a)        Identify all types of fishing licenses issued for the purpose of taking fish in coastal fishing waters, both recreational and commercial.

(b)        Identify the fees associated with these licenses.

(c)        Identify the analogous licenses issued and fees charged by states with fisheries profiles similar to those of North Carolina, including at least South Carolina and Virginia.

(d)        Recommend several levels of increases in the license fees and calculate the amount of revenue that would be generated by the different levels of increase.

(e)        Identify any limitations under State or federal law on the use of license fees for purposes not related to the management of marine fisheries.

(2)        For the numbering and titling of vessels, the Executive Director shall specifically:

(a)        Identify all requirements for the numbering and titling of vessels.

(b)        Determine if there is a method for differentiating between vessels that are used predominantly in coastal fishing waters versus those that are used predominantly in inland fishing waters.

(c)        Identify the fees associated with the numbering and titling of vessels.

(d)        Identify the analogous vessel numbering and titling requirements and fees charged by states with coastal boating profiles similar to those of North Carolina, including at least South Carolina and Virginia.

(e)        Recommend several levels of increases in the fees associated with the numbering and titling of vessels and calculate the amount of revenue that would be generated by the different levels of increase.

(f)         Identify any limitations under State or federal law on the use of fees associated with the numbering and titling of vessels.

(3)        The Director and the Executive Director shall examine all other sources of funding, including the gas tax.

SECTION 3.  The Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Executive Director of the Wildlife Resources Commission shall jointly submit a report on the study required by Section 2 of this act to the Legislative Research Commission Committee on Marine Fisheries no later than September 1, 2012.

SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.