Motor Vehicle Division and Game, Fish & Parks seek cleanup to statutes clarifying where boat registration fees are deposited
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Summary
Departments requested statutory clarification that watercraft registration fees are deposited into the parks and recreation fund and a small replacement‑registration fee go into the state motor vehicle fund; the committee approved the clarifying bill.
Rosie Yeager, director of the Motor Vehicle Division, told the Senate Appropriations Committee that Senate Bill 46 updates statute to reflect longstanding practice: watercraft registration fees have been used by Game, Fish and Parks for boating facilities but the receiving fund was not explicitly named in statute. The bill specifies that watercraft registration fees be deposited into the Parks and Recreation Fund and that a $2 replacement registration fee be deposited into the state motor vehicle fund (the counties currently retained replacement fees).
Jeff Enmieder, director of Game, Fish and Parks, told the committee the department has records dating to 1984 of using boat registration funds to maintain boat ramps, docks, parking, toilets and shoreline protection. He said the boat registration fund has averaged roughly $1.8 million annually over the past five years and that Game, Fish and Parks does not receive the entire cost of boating‑related infrastructure from that fund.
The committee approved a due‑pass motion for SB46 with unanimous support (9 ayes recorded).