MOURNING DOVES: OPEN SEASON S.B. 529: FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 529 (as reported by the Committee of the Whole) Sponsor: Senator Philip E. Hoffman
Committee: Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
The bill would amend the Wildlife Conservation Act to require the Department of Natural Resources to establish an open season for the taking of mourning doves, and to include mourning doves in the definition of “game”.
Further, the bill provides that beginning on September 1, 1995, a person who used a firearm to take game while the game was on a utility wire, line, pole, tower, supporting structure, or equipment would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 90 days, a fine of between
$50 and $500, or both, and the costs of prosecution.
MCL 300.254 et al. Legislative Analyst: G. Towne
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact depending on whether the addition of mourning doves would cause an increase in the sale of small game licenses, or an increase in enforcement activities or fines related to dove hunting.
Currently, approximately 250,000 small game licenses are sold, which generates $2.6 million in revenue.
Date Completed: 5-24-95 Fiscal Analyst: G. Cutler
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.