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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.3023 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19990112 Primary Sponsor:Witherspoon All Sponsors:Witherspoon, Edge Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\gjk\20062sd99.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Com 20 HANR Subject:Heritage Preserves, Natural Resources Board to determine uniform user fee; Fish and Game History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19990112 Introduced, read first time, 20 HANR referred to Committee House 19981209 Prefiled, referred to Committee 20 HANR Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND SECTION 51-17-110, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE HERITAGE TRUST PROGRAM AND FUNDING, APPROPRIATIONS, AND USER FEES IN REGARD TO HERITAGE PRESERVES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE BOARD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO DETERMINE A UNIFORM USER FEE WHICH MUST BE CHARGED AT ALL HERITAGE PRESERVES IN THIS STATE, TO AUTHORIZE A WAIVER OF USER FEES BY THE BOARD IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND PROVIDE FOR EXCEPTIONS TO THESE USER FEES, TO INCREASE THE AUTHORIZED COST OF THESE USER FEES, TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH THESE FEES SHALL BE USED, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN VIOLATIONS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 51-17-110 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:
"Section 51-17-110. The department shall include those costs and operating expenses necessary for the activities of the board of the department and the advisory board as well as staff support to carry out the provisions of this act chapter in the annual State general appropriation appropriations act. Funding for management of areas and features which become Heritage Preserves must be specifically requested by the department or that entity of government responsible for management thereof.
The board of the department shall select those Heritage Preserves for which it is appropriate to charge an determine a uniform individual user fee which must be charged at all Heritage Preserves in this State; provided, that the department is authorized to waive the user fee for school, church, and other appropriate groups as determined by the department. The department may shall sell such the user permits for a cost not to exceed five ten dollars and to they shall be valid for the fiscal year in which issued at all Heritage Preserves where a permit is required.
The following individuals are exempt from paying the user fee in order to enter a Heritage Preserve:
(1) an individual having a valid combination hunting and fishing license issued by the Department of Natural Resources;
(2) an individual under the age required for such a license; and
(3) an individual having a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) permit entitling him to enter WMA property. In order to enter the Heritage Preserve without paying the required user fee, the above-referenced individuals must show their appropriate license or permit to the applicable officials.
To engage in hunting or fishing activities at a Heritage Preserve, an individual must have a valid hunting or fishing license. Any person who enters a Heritage Preserve without paying the user fee if required is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two hundred dollars. At the end of the fiscal year, the department shall distribute the funds collected among the entities of government assigned responsibility for management in direct proportion to the acreage which they manage in each county. The proceeds of the sale of the user permits must be used to defray the management expenses."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 1999.
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