Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Increases fee charged for New Jersey Waterfowl Stamp.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the New Jersey Waterfowl Stamp and amending P.L.1983, c.504.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.1983, c.504 (C.23:3-77) is amended to read as follows:
3. The New Jersey Waterfowl Stamp shall be procured from the Division of Fish [, Game] and Wildlife, or from other designated agents deemed qualified by the Division of Fish [, Game] and Wildlife. The annual fee for the New Jersey Waterfowl Stamp shall be [$10.00] $15 for persons without a valid New Jersey resident's firearm hunting or bow and arrow license, and [$5.00] $10 for persons possessing a valid New Jersey resident's firearm hunting or bow and arrow license. A New Jersey Waterfowl Stamp shall not be valid unless it is in the possession of the licensee and contains the signature of the licensee written in ink across the face of the stamp. All New Jersey Waterfowl Stamps shall expire on June 30 of each year, unless otherwise prescribed in the State Fish and Game Code.
Any person may procure the [$5.00] $10 and [$10.00] $15 New Jersey Waterfowl Stamps at their face value for collection purposes only.
(cf: P.L.1996, c.43, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would increase, by five dollars, the fee charged for a New Jersey Waterfowl Stamp, which authorizes a person to hunt waterfowl in the State. Under current law, the fee for the stamp is $5 for a person with a valid resident's firearm or bow and arrow hunting license, and $10 for a person without such a license. Under this bill, the fees would increase to $10 and $15, respectively. Moneys raised by these fees are statutorily required to be used by the Department of Environmental Protection for the acquisition, protection, maintenance, improvement, and enhancement of waterfowl habitat and associated wetlands in the State. However, the fees for the stamp have not increased since 1996, and inflation and rising property values have reduced the efficacy of the moneys raised by the fees.