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House Bill 107 would standardize expiration dates and move some permit fees into statute
Summary
House Bill 107 would align expiration dates for several Fish, Wildlife and Parks commercial licenses to February 28 and move certain controlled-species permit fee structures from rule into statute; the department and proponents supported the change and clarified the definition of exotic wildlife referenced in the bill.
Representative Albus presented House Bill 107, which would revise expiration dates for several Fish, Wildlife and Parks commercial licenses so they expire consistently on Feb. 28, and move some permit fees for controlled exotic wildlife from rule into statute while keeping fee amounts unchanged.
Phil Kilbreth of Fish, Wildlife and Parks told the committee the changes would make licensing more consistent, preserve existing fee amounts that are currently in rule, and maintain current reporting requirements for fur dealers. “All of the fees that are established in statute are equal to what they were in rule,” Kilbreth said, and the department recommended a do pass.
A committee question asked what constitutes “exotic wildlife.” Kilbreth replied that, by statute, exotic wildlife is any species not native to Montana and that statute lists processes for classifying species as prohibited, controlled, or non-controlled. The department said controlled-species permits authorize possessing, selling, or breeding controlled exotic species and that the bill puts the controlled-species permit fee structure into statute.
Representative Albus urged the committee to do pass; the transcript records that sponsors indicated the bills (105, 106 and 107) had passed the House 98-2. No formal Senate committee vote on HB 107 was recorded in the hearing.
