An Act reimburse George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Dave Vieira

Requires annual General Fund reimbursement to the George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund for revenue lost from discounted and free hunting and fishing licenses.

Accompanied a study order, see H5307

Purpose and intent

To guarantee that the George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund is reimbursed annually from the General Fund for revenue loss caused by the issuance of discounted and free hunting and fishing licenses.

The bill codifies this reimbursement obligation within the existing framework of the Inland Fisheries and Game Fund.

Key provisions

Amends Section 11 of Chapter 131 of the General Laws (as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition) by adding a new sentence:

“The George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund shall be reimbursed annually from the general fund for all lost revenue attributed to the issuance of discounted and free hunting and fishing licenses.”

This is a direct mechanism to transfer funds from the General Fund to the Darey Fund to offset revenue lost when licenses are discounted or issued for free.

What would be affected

George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund: Receives annual reimbursements from the General Fund to cover lost license revenue.

General Fund: Would provide annual reimbursements to the Darey Fund; represents an ongoing General Fund outlay tied to revenue forgone from discounted/free licenses.

Inland Fisheries and Game licensing framework: The policy that creates discounted or free licenses would be the context in which revenue loss is calculated and reimbursed.

Massachusetts revenue accounting and budgeting: The reimbursement creates an ongoing budgetary obligation that would be reflected in annual appropriations.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduced: February 27, 2025

Referred to: Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (ENR)

Legislative actions noted:

Senate concurred (February 27, 2025)
Hearing scheduled: October 21, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in hearing room A-1

Related reference: House Docket No. 2888 (HD 2888) is the related or replacing designation for this bill.

Potential impact and considerations

Fiscal: Establishes an annual General Fund outlay to reimburse the Darey Fund for revenue lost due to discounted/free licenses. The exact amount would depend on yearly revenue foregone from such licenses.

Policy: Creates a dedicated funding stream to preserve the Darey Fund’s resource levels, potentially stabilizing inland fisheries and game program financing.

Administrative: Requires ongoing revenue tracking to determine the “lost revenue” eligible for reimbursement in each year.

This summary outlines the bill’s core change: a statutory guarantee of annual reimbursement from the General Fund to the George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund for revenue lost due to discounted and free licenses.

Bill