Revenues subcommittee unanimously advances amendment to double hunter tax-credit cap in HB175

The Revenues Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee on March 4 adopted a committee amendment to House Bill 175 that would double the current $300 per-taxpayer cap on a tax credit for hunters who pay to have donated deer processed, raising the cap to $600. The amendment and the bill as amended were approved by unanimous voice vote and the bill was reported favorably out of subcommittee.

The Chair introduced HB175 as legislation originally brought by Delegate Zagler and explained that, rather than repealing the existing cap, the committee amendment would increase it to $600 per taxpayer. The Chair told members that with the amendment the committee’s fiscal estimate “comes down considerably,” citing roughly $125,000 per year as the projected fiscal impact.

Delegate Vogle moved the committee amendment; Delegate Feldmark seconded. After the committee adopted the amendment by unanimous voice vote, Delegate Vogle moved that HB175 as amended be reported favorably; Delegate Griffith seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The committee took no further action on HB175 at the meeting; there were no recorded dissenting votes and no amendments beyond the committee amendment were proposed.

Next steps: HB175, as amended, was reported favorably by the revenues subcommittee and will proceed through the normal legislative pipeline.