HB 1497 Summary

• Appropriates $8,890,505.00 from the State General Fund and $63,722,438.00 from special funds for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for fiscal year 2015 (July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015).

• Authorizes 659 permanent full-time positions, 93 permanent part-time positions, 47 time-limited full-time positions, and provides $1,000 salary increases for eligible full-time employees earning under $30,000 annually who have not received raises since July 1, 2010.

• Allocates $5,750,000.00 from state excise taxes on gasoline and petroleum products to the Fisheries and Wildlife Fund, and $125,335.00 from the Education Enhancement Fund for Project WILD educational expenses.

• Establishes specific performance targets for hunting and fishing licenses (570,000), boat registrations (42,000), fish stocking (1,500,000), hunter education (11,500 persons), and state park overnight accommodations (544,887 persons).

• Authorizes $2,746,000.00 for recruitment and training of conservation officer cadets and $1,776,845.00 in Capital Expense Funds for law enforcement cadet training and heritage museum improvements.