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Fish and Game seeks authority for raffles, wants repeal of fish-food statute deemed inactive
Summary
Fish and Game asked the committee for authority to run raffles and collect donations through a revolving account and proposed repealing a statute authorizing the sale of fish food, saying vending machines are nonfunctional and the account generates no revenue.
Fish and Game told the work session it wants statutory authority to collect raffle proceeds and donations in a revolving account to raise additional revenue for the agency’s operations.
“This would be creating an accounting unit that would allow us to collect funds from raffles and donations and let it be a revolving account,” Stephanie Simic said. The department described raffles as a different fundraising tool than standard donations and said the proceeds would support department operations when available.
Committee members questioned whether a separate revolving account was necessary. One lawmaker noted the department already has authority to accept gifts and donations and asked whether raffle authority could simply deposit receipts into the Fish and Game Fund. Simic acknowledged the department already has a gifts-and-donations account but said raffles are treated differently and would need explicit authorization.
Sale of fish food
The department also asked to repeal a statutory provision authorizing the sale of fish food at hatcheries, saying vending machines are not functional and the line produces no revenue. “We’re not going to invest a considerable amount of money to purchase new ones,” Simic said; lawmakers asked whether keeping the statute on the books imposed any legal obligation and were told it would impose no spending requirement but that removing the inactive provision would declutter statute.
Committee direction
Members said they were generally supportive of expanding fundraising tools but preferred any new raffle or donations authority to deposit proceeds into the Fish and Game Fund rather than creating a permanent separate revolving account. The department agreed to work with staff on statutory language that would allow raffles while directing revenue to the Fish and Game Fund or otherwise making accounting clear.
Ending
Committee members asked staff to draft narrower language to authorize raffles and donations while routing receipts to the Fish and Game Fund; the department agreed to return with recommended statutory language.
