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Senate debates bill moving some wildlife license-setting to Wildlife Board; sponsors say legislature keeps final approval
Summary
Senators debated House Bill 54 over whether certain small-game and fishing license fees should be set first by the Wildlife Board and later included in the annual appropriation bill. Sponsors said the legislature retains final approval; some senators asked for statutory clarifications and raised concerns about fee increases.
The Utah State Senate on Jan. 26 took up House Bill 54, a measure to let the Wildlife Board set a limited list of license fees and include those recommended rates as a fee schedule attached to the annual appropriation bill.
Senator Blackham introduced the bill, saying it would move a small set of licensing fees from direct legislative enactment to the wildlife-board process that already handles most game and fishing fees. "This just seemed a logical thing to do," Blackham said, describing the board's public hearing process and regional advisory committees that review rates statewide.
Senator Steele pressed why wildlife fees were singled out and argued the legislature has historically provided an additional check on…
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