Snowmobile Registration Fees

Senate Bills 1489, H-2, and 1490, H-2 (Tie-barred)

Sponsors:  Sens. Jason Allen and Jim Barcia

House Committee:  Appropriations

Senate Committee:  Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Recreation

Complete to December 9, 2008

SUMMARY

            SENATE BILL 1489 AS SUBSTITUTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE

This bill would increase Snowmobile Registration Fees from $22 to $30 (on a 3 year registration cycle), effective July 1, 2009.  This $8 increase would be deposited into the Permanent Snowmobile Trail Easement Sub-account (created in SB 1490, within the Snowmobile Trail Improvement sub-account) to purchase or secure easements, leases, permits, or other agreements authorizing the use of private property for snowmobile trails and facilities.  $5 of the new registration fee would be provided for DNR Law Enforcement (approx. $500,000 annually).

            SENATE BILL 1490 AS SUBSTITUTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE

This bill would increase the annual Snowmobile Trail Permit Sticker Fee from $25 to $35 in 2009 and 2010, and to $45 from 2011-2015.  After 2015, the fee would be increased by the rate of increase in the Consumer Price Index over the most recent 5-year period.  A provision is included which would eliminate funding for easement purchases if the Snowmobile Advisory Committee and the department determine that the public snowmobile trail system is fully developed.  Instead, this increased revenue would be deposited in the Recreational Snowmobile Trail Improvement Sub-account.

FISCAL IMPACT:

These two bills would increase the registration fee and the trail permit fee.  Assuming the current number of snowmobile operators register their machines, and purchase an annual trail sticker, the following estimated increased annualized revenue (FY 2009-2010) to the Snowmobile Trail Improvement Sub-account may be expected:

            Registration Fee $8 Increase (@ 87,000 registrations):  $             696,000

            Trail Permit Sticker (@ 180,000 permits):                                             1,800,000

Revenue for years following 2010 is indeterminate, since there may be resistance to the 2011 trail permit increases (SB 1490).

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Kirk Lindquist

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.