In a special meeting Thursday, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Board of Commissioners gave final approval to a hike in the prices of fishing licenses and other licenses and permits.
Final approval normally would mean the proposed action has become law and, in this instance, the commission would begin charging the new, increased fees for 2023.
That would add $2.50 to the fees for the most commonly issued fishing licenses and permits – resident annual fishing license, trout permit and combination trout/Lake Erie permit.
But the commissioners were able to approve the increases only because of special authority given to them in Act 56 of 2020, after decades of authority for fishing and hunting license fees resting solely with state legislators and then opting for no changes since 2005.
While the Fish and Boat Commission won a fee increase in 2005, the Game Commission has not seen a hunting license fee increase since 1999 and has not been given similar ability to launch any action on those fees.
Act 56 allows Fish and Boat commissioners to approve license fee increases, but not to be the final word on those increases.
Yesterday’s action by commissioners now must be reported to the Game and Fisheries committees in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate.
Those committees have 30 days, or 10 session days, to disapprove the fee hikes.
If neither committee takes any action on them, the increases take effect when they are published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
That could mean the increases could be in place for the 2023 fishing license year, which begins on Dec. 1, 2022.
But, if either of the committees disapproves the commissioners’ action, a much longer legislative process that could get to the governor’s desk begins. At the least that would delay the increases long enough to prevent them from taking effect for the coming license year.
In addition to the fee hikes for the most common fishing licenses and permits, increases also would be applied to other license and permit categories for non-residents, seniors and tourists.
The commission estimates that the fee increases will generate $2.5 million annually for the Fish Fund to support fishing related programs.
The board also approved fee adjustments for several categories of boat titles, licenses and permits.
Many of the administrative fees, such as those related to the issuing of title certificates, cast net permits, and penalties for uncollectable checks, have not been updated since the 1980s or 1990s.
Revenues from the boating fee increases would generate an estimated $30,000 annually for the Fish Fund and $1.5 million for the Boat Fund to support boating related programs.
Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
Ad Choices