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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 19, 2016 02:50 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator John H. Eichelberger, Jr. and Sen. John N. Wozniak |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Authority to Establish Fees -- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission |
| In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation authorizing the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) to establish the fees charged by the agency. Currently, the PFBC’s fees are established by legislation. As an independent administrative agency that is not supported by General Fund revenues and relies on user fees to pay for almost everything it does, the PFBC has a vested business interest in setting a fee structure that generates sufficient revenues to sustain its work on behalf of anglers, boaters, and aquatic resources while having the least possible negative impact on participation and sales. The Fish and Boat Code (Title 30) directs the PFBC to submit an annual report to the House and Senate Game and Fisheries and Appropriations Committees each year, and also requires the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a performance audit of the PFBC every three years. Further, members of the Commission are subject to Senate confirmation. We believe that these checks and balances provide the legislature with ample opportunity to ensure the responsible implementation of this authority. It should be noted that the PFBC has consistently demonstrated a commitment to fiscal discipline and was applauded by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee in 2014 for having the lowest expenditures per license among states surveyed across the country. This proposal builds on that track record of accountability. Thank you for your consideration in joining us as a co-sponsor of this important legislation to help sustain Pennsylvania’s rich angling, boating, and conservation heritage. |
Introduced as SB1168