Bill
S 579
Requires annual General Fund reimbursements to the George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund for revenue lost when licenses are discounted or issued free.
Status and procedural timeline
- Introduced in the Massachusetts Senate on January 13, 2025; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources / Environment and Natural Resources. Hearing scheduled for July 1, 2025 (1:00–5:00 PM, A-1). Additional referrals to Agriculture are noted in the bill history.
- Sponsors/petitioners listed include State Senator Peter J. Durant and several other state senators. (Metadata in the file also lists some federal senators as sponsors; that appears to be an error or carryover from other materials.)
Purpose and intent
- The bill’s stated purpose is to protect the George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund from revenue shortfalls that result when hunting or fishing licenses are issued at a discount or issued free of charge. It requires the Commonwealth’s General Fund to reimburse the Darey fund annually for those losses.
Key provision (exact amendment)
- The bill proposes to amend Section 11 of Chapter 131 of the General Laws by adding this sentence to the end of the section:
"The George L. Darey inland fisheries and game fund shall be reimbursed annually from the general fund for all loss of revenue for any fishing or hunting license provided at a discount and for any license provided free of charge."
Who or what would be affected
- George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund: would receive annual reimbursements from the state general fund equal to revenue lost due to discounted or free licenses.
- Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife) and programs funded by the Darey fund: potential stabilization of program funding and greater ability to authorize discounted/free licenses without reducing net program revenue.
- State general fund: would assume additional annual expenditures equal to the reimbursed amounts (fiscal cost dependent on the number and value of discounted/free licenses).
- License recipients: no direct fee changes mandated; the change may make discounted or free licenses more sustainable from the perspective of program funding.
Fiscal and policy implications
- Fiscal impact: not specified in the bill; depends on how many and which categories of licenses are provided at a discount or for free (e.g., youth, veterans, seniors, promotional waivers). Reimbursement transfers costs from the dedicated Darey fund to the general fund.
- Policy effects: could encourage continuation or expansion of discounted/free license programs without eroding the dedicated fund’s balance; may reduce fiscal uncertainty for fish and wildlife programs financed by the Darey fund.
Notes and ambiguities
- The bill text focuses solely on reimbursements to the George L. Darey fund. Other items in the provided packet (a different title about dogs running at large, or listing of federal senators) appear inconsistent with the bill text and likely reflect clerical or cross-reference errors in the provided materials.
- The bill does not specify an effective date; standard rules of statutory construction would apply unless the enacted law sets one.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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