State agencies outline fee changes and license structures; Game & Fish cites $15M statutory minimum

Representatives from the Game & Fish Department and the Attorney General's Office presented agency fee studies and recent legislative changes.

Brian Hosek, chief of administrative services at Game & Fish, said most license authorities reside in state statute and that fees were recently adjusted through legislative action (including a $5 resident/nonresident waterfowl habitat stamp). He said the department is required to maintain a statutory minimum fund balance of $15 million and that the department periodically revisits license pricing; early indications after recent fee changes show continued strong participation in license sales.

Rachel Kamatz, finance director in the Attorney General's Office, summarized roughly 40 agency fees spanning licensing, gaming, concealed weapons checks, attorney billing processes for special‑fund agencies, and other administrative fees. Kamatz said the AG's licensing processes are moving away from paper toward automation and that attorney billing to agencies depends on consultant calculations and billing lags.

Committee members asked about participation and youth access for fishing (Game & Fish clarified fishing is free under age 16) and whether the department had seen immediate declines in license sales; Hosek said participation remained strong but noted species‑specific variations could appear. The briefings were informational and committee staff may follow up for more detailed fee reports as needed.