1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to game and fish; requiring a turkey stamp; 
  1.3             setting a fee; directing use of proceeds; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1994, sections 97A.055, 
  1.5             subdivisions 4 and 4a; 97A.075, by adding a 
  1.6             subdivision; 97A.475, subdivision 5; 97B.603; and 
  1.7             97B.721. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.055, 
  1.10  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 4.  [ANNUAL REPORTS.] (a) By November 15 each year, 
  1.12  the commissioner shall submit to the legislative committees 
  1.13  having jurisdiction over appropriations and the environment and 
  1.14  natural resources reports on each of the following: 
  1.15     (1) the amount of revenue from the following and purposes 
  1.16  for which expenditures were made: 
  1.17     (i) the small game license surcharge under section 97A.475, 
  1.18  subdivision 4; 
  1.19     (ii) the Minnesota migratory waterfowl stamp under section 
  1.20  97A.475, subdivision 5, clause (1); 
  1.21     (iii) the trout and salmon stamp under section 97A.475, 
  1.22  subdivision 10; ~~and~~ 
  1.23     (iv) the pheasant stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision 
  1.24  5, clause (2); and 
  1.25     (v) the turkey stamp under section 97A.475, subdivision 5, 
  1.26  clause (3); 
  2.1      (2) the amounts available under section 97A.075, 
  2.2   subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) and (c), and the purposes for 
  2.3   which these amounts were spent; and 
  2.4      (3) money credited to the game and fish fund under this 
  2.5   section and purposes for which expenditures were made from the 
  2.6   fund. 
  2.7      (b) The report must include the commissioner's 
  2.8   recommendations, if any, for changes in the laws relating to the 
  2.9   stamps and surcharge referenced in paragraph (a).  
  2.10     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.055, 
  2.11  subdivision 4a, is amended to read: 
  2.12     Subd. 4a.  [CITIZEN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES.] (a) The 
  2.13  commissioner shall appoint committees of affected persons to 
  2.14  review the reports prepared under subdivision 4 and other 
  2.15  relevant information and make recommendations to the legislature 
  2.16  and the commissioner for improvements in the management and use 
  2.17  of money in the game and fish fund. 
  2.18     (b) The commissioner shall appoint the following committees:
  2.19     (1) a committee to review the annual game and fish fund 
  2.20  report and address general game and fish fund issues; 
  2.21     (2) a committee to address funding issues related to 
  2.22  fishing; 
  2.23     (3) a committee to review the report on the small game 
  2.24  license surcharge and the report required in subdivision 4, 
  2.25  paragraph (a), clause (2), and address funding issues related to 
  2.26  hunting; 
  2.27     (4) a committee to review the trout and salmon stamp report 
  2.28  and address funding issues related to trout and salmon; 
  2.29     (5) a committee to review the report on the migratory 
  2.30  waterfowl stamp and address funding issues related to migratory 
  2.31  waterfowl; ~~and~~ 
  2.32     (6) a committee to review the report on the pheasant stamp 
  2.33  and address funding issues related to pheasants; and 
  2.34     (7) a committee to review the report on the turkey stamp 
  2.35  and address funding issues related to wild turkeys. 
  2.36     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.075, is 
  3.1   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.2      Subd. 5.  [TURKEY STAMPS.] (a) Ninety percent of the 
  3.3   revenue from turkey stamps must be credited to the wild turkey 
  3.4   management account.  Money in the account may be used only for: 
  3.5      (1) the development, restoration, and maintenance of 
  3.6   suitable habitat for wild turkeys on public and private land 
  3.7   including forest stand improvement and establishment of nesting 
  3.8   cover, winter roost area, and reliable food sources; 
  3.9      (2) acquisitions of, or easements on, critical wild turkey 
  3.10  habitat; 
  3.11     (3) trapping and transplantation of wild turkeys; and 
  3.12     (4) the promotion of turkey habitat development and 
  3.13  maintenance, population surveys and monitoring, and research. 
  3.14     (b) Money in the account may not be used for: 
  3.15     (1) costs unless they are directly related to a specific 
  3.16  parcel of land under paragraph (a), clauses (1) and (2), a 
  3.17  specific trap and transplant project under paragraph (a), clause 
  3.18  (3), or to specific promotional or evaluative activities under 
  3.19  paragraph (a), clause (4); or 
  3.20     (2) any permanent personnel costs. 
  3.21     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.475, 
  3.22  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  3.23     Subd. 5.  [HUNTING STAMPS.] Fees for the following stamps 
  3.24  are: 
  3.25     (1) migratory waterfowl stamp, $5; ~~and~~ 
  3.26     (2) pheasant stamp, $5; and 
  3.27     (3) turkey stamp, $5.  
  3.28     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97B.603, is 
  3.29  amended to read: 
  3.30     97B.603 [SMALL GAME PARTY HUNTING.] 
  3.31     While two or more persons are hunting small game as a party 
  3.32  and maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact, a member of 
  3.33  the party may take and possess more than one limit of small 
  3.34  game, but the total number of small game taken and possessed by 
  3.35  the party may not exceed the limit of the number of persons in 
  3.36  the party that may take and possess small game.  This section 
  4.1   does not apply to the hunting of migratory game birds or 
  4.2   turkeys, except that a licensed turkey hunter may assist another 
  4.3   licensed turkey hunter for the same zone and time period as long 
  4.4   as the hunter does not shoot or tag a turkey for the other 
  4.5   hunter. 
  4.6      Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97B.721, is 
  4.7   amended to read: 
  4.8      97B.721 [LICENSE AND STAMP REQUIRED TO TAKE TURKEY; TAGGING 
  4.9   AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.] 
  4.10     (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a person may not 
  4.11  take a turkey without a turkey license and a turkey stamp in 
  4.12  possession. 
  4.13     (b) The requirement in paragraph (a) to possess a turkey 
  4.14  stamp does not apply to persons under age 18. 
  4.15     (c) The commissioner may by rule prescribe requirements for 
  4.16  the tagging and registration of turkeys. 
  4.17     Sec. 7.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.18     This act is effective March 1, 1997, and applies to 
  4.19  licenses issued beginning with the 1997 license year.