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Committee backs amended plan to fund state dam maintenance with $5 boat decal fee
Summary
The committee approved an amended version of HB 629 that drops a proposed waterfront linear-foot fee and moves a $5 dam-maintenance charge to the state boat decal, with the amendment setting an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027; members said the change raises limited revenue but helps begin addressing a large maintenance shortfall.
Committee members discussed HB 629, a bill to fund operation, maintenance and repair of state-owned dams. Representative Darby summarized past study work showing a large maintenance shortfall for critical dams and said some dams have been removed for safety reasons.
The original bill included two revenue proposals: a fee of $1.58 per linear foot of waterfront for properties that benefit from state-owned dams, and a $5 charge tied to boat registration. Committee members and staff noted a recent federal constraint on adding certain fees to registration; the state now uses a separate boat decal to collect some boating-related charges.
Representative Darby described an amendment that removes the $1.58-per-linear-foot waterfront fee, moves the $5 dam-maintenance charge from registration language into statute language tied to the boat decal, and sets the effective date to Jan. 1, 2027 so it aligns with the decal/registration cycle. Darby said the change will raise only an estimated $500,000–$600,000 per year but that the committee needs to begin shoring up funding for dam maintenance.
Representative Dunn and other members voiced support; representatives thanked the Marine Trades Association and other stakeholders who participated in study work. In executive session the committee adopted the amendment and then voted that the bill “ought to pass as amended.” The amendment and final recommendation were placed on the committee’s consent calendar.
Members noted the modest revenue estimate but characterized the measure as a reasonable first step to address the larger problem of aging dams.
