Sponsor Statement for HB 109

"An Act relating to the management and disposal of state land and resources; relating to certain remote parcel and homestead entry land purchase contracts and patents; and providing and effective date."

House Bill 109 is a housekeeping measure intended primarily to clarify certain Title 38 statutes governing the Department of Natural Resources' management of state land and resources. This bill is intended to bring greater efficiency to the management of state lands by simplifying programs and reducing costs to DNR.

Some highlights of HB 109 include:

• Rewrites the "remote cabin permit program" to a program that would allow for either the sale or lease of land for a remote cabin site. The permit program was never implemented because of the associated administrative costs with only a minimal return to the state.
• Clarifies that the sale of state land does not obligate the state to provide additional services.
• Simplifies the methods to receive a homestead parcel title by requiring that within five years, a parcel must be lived on for 25 months or purchased at fair market value.

Although HB 109 is not intended to be a complete rewrite of Title 38, I believe it is a positive step in the effort to streamline state government.