Arizona Governor Signs SB 1223 (License Simplification)
Arizona Game and Fish Department 05.09.13
Gov. Jan Brewer yesterday (May 7) signed into law Senate Bill 1223, a bill that allows the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to set future hunting and fishing license structure and fees directly through a streamlined, customer-focused process.
The bill, which is supported by 24 sportsmen’s organizations, gives the Game and Fish Department the ability to operate more like a business and react to changing market conditions and customer needs in a timely manner. It previously passed the Arizona House, 43-10, on April 15 and the Arizona Senate, 26-2, on March 6.
The department now will present its proposed public outreach process to the Game and Fish Commission at the commission’s meeting this Saturday, May 11, at the Mohave County Board of Supervisors Auditorium, 700 W. Beale St., in Kingman, Ariz. The public is invited to attend the meeting in person or view it over the web at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. The commission may provide input or further direction.
Following that meeting, the department will engage in a public outreach effort, including statewide public meetings, to solicit input on a conceptual license structure and fees.
“It’s important to keep in mind that the license structure and fee concepts that will be shown at the public meetings will only be that — concepts,” said Deputy Director Ty Gray. “They are not recommendations at this point, but are meant to serve as a starting point for discussion. We want to know what constituents think and what input they might have.”
The public meetings are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on the following dates:
- Thursday, May 16, Pinetop, Pinetop Fire Department, Station #2, 5976 Buck Springs Road
- Monday, May 20, Phoenix, Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway (Note: This meeting will also be webcast at www.azgfd.gov/webcast)
- Monday, May 20, Mesa, Arizona Game and Fish Department Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive
- Tuesday, May 21, Tucson, Arizona Game and Fish Department Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road
- Wednesday, May 22, Yuma, Arizona Game and Fish Department Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
- Wednesday, May 22, Flagstaff, Arizona Game and Fish Department Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
- Thursday, May 23, Kingman, Arizona Game and Fish Department Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
It is anticipated that additional public meetings will be held in each region. Those meeting locations and dates will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/LicenseSimplification as soon as they become available. Interested individuals are encouraged to monitor that webpage.
For those who can’t attend the public meetings, input/comments will be accepted at LicenseSimplification@azgfd.gov.
For more information about SB 1223, visit www.azgfd.gov/LicenseSimplification.
