RS 644 - Fishing and hunting license checkoff; donation for Hunters for the Hungry
A. Each individual who purchases a fishing or hunting license may donate to Hunters for the Hungry. The donation shall be made at the time of the purchase of the license and shall be made upon the license form as prescribed by the secretary.
B. There is hereby created within the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries a special escrow account known as the "Hunters for the Hungry Escrow Account". The escrow account is created to receive deposits of donations for the benefit of Hunters for the Hungry made when an individual purchases a fishing and hunting license, and no public funds shall be deposited into the escrow account. The monies in the escrow account shall be used solely as provided by Subsection C of this Section. All unexpended and unencumbered monies in this escrow account at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the escrow account. The monies in the escrow account shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund.
C. No more than twenty-five percent of the monies in the escrow account shall be used for administrative costs. The balance shall be used solely by Hunters for the Hungry to pay for the following:
(1) Processing and distribution of commercial or game fish, migratory or resident game bird, game quadruped, alligator, or feral hog when any of these shall be used by a not-for-profit entity or a charitable organization in food or meal distribution at no cost to an individual.
(2) Advertising, promotion, or marketing costs incurred to make the general public aware of the mission of Hunters for the Hungry, including the option to donate money when purchasing a fishing or hunting license.
D. All monies used pursuant to the Hunters for the Hungry Escrow Account shall be subject to audit by the legislative auditor.
E. At the end of each calendar year, Hunters for the Hungry shall submit to the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources a report that at a minimum contains a detailed explanation of the revenues and expenditures of the escrow account, as well as a description of the organization's activities related to the account. The committee may summon any person employed by or associated with Hunters for the Hungry to provide testimony with respect to the report.
F. The state treasurer is hereby authorized and directed to immediately upon creation of the Hunters for the Hungry Escrow Account, transfer the balance in the Hunters for the Hungry Account in the Conservation Fund to the department to be deposited into the Hunters for the Hungry Escrow Account created in this Section.
Acts 2013, No. 366, §1, eff. June 1, 2014; Acts 2015, No. 271, §1; Acts 2018, No. 612, §18, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2019, No. 362, §§9, 10, eff. June 11, 2019; Acts 2019, No. 404, §1, eff. July 1, 2020; Acts 2020, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 10, §10, eff. July 9, 2020.
NOTE: See Acts 2018, No. 612 and Acts 2019, No. 404 providing for the effects of the conversion of certain dedicated funds to special statutorily dedicated fund accounts.