HB 938 - SB 869
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
March 14, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Rebecca Chandler | Email: rebecca.chandler@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 938 - SB 869
SUMMARY OF BILL: Permits hunting of whitetail deer and wild-appearing swine with bait
on private land with a bait privilege license. Requires all hunters, including those normally exempt,
to obtain this license. Grants the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) authority to
suspend baiting privileges to prevent disease spread. Clarifies that naturally occurring agricultural
grains from harvesting are not considered bait.
FISCAL IMPACT:
STATE GOVERNMENT
REVENUE Wildlife Fund
FY25-26 & Subsequent Years $6,511,300
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
EXPENDITURES
FY25-26 & Subsequent Years $438,500
Assumptions:
• The proposed legislation allows the Fish and Wildlife Commission to permit hunting over
baited areas for deer and wild-appearing swine. Private landowners, who are currently
exempt from hunting license requirements for deer on their property, would be required to
purchase a supplemental bait license. There is no hunting season for swine and they remain
controlled through a no-cost depredation permit system, meaning there is no fiscal impact
from allowing baiting for depredation purposes.
• Establishing a deer hunting license will result in an increase in state revenue to the Wildlife
Fund. However, the specific fee amount set by the TWRA would require approval from the
Fish and Wildlife Commission.
• Based on information provided by TWRA, the agency will likely propose a fee structure of
$50 for residents and $100 for non-residents.
• The TWRA’s latest deer hunting survey estimated 170,108 deer hunters, which is inclusive
of resident and non-resident hunting licenses, sportsman licenses, and landowners who
reported harvesting a deer.
• In a similar bait license program administered by Alabama’s Department of Natural
Resources, 68 percent of hunters purchased a bait license.
• For purposes of this analysis, it is reasonably assumed a similar percentage will purchase a
bait license, resulting in 115,673 (170,108 x 68%) estimated licenses.
HB 938 - SB 869 2
• According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s 2011 report, Deer Hunting in the United States:
Demographics and Trends, 95 percent of deer hunters participate within their home state.
• Applying this proportion, an estimated 109,889 hunters are Tennessee residents (115,673 x
95%), while 5,784 are non-residents (115,673 x 5%).
• Assuming that resident hunters pay $50 for a permit and non-residents pay $100, the
projected increase in state revenue is as follows:
o 109,889 state hunters x $50 permit = $5,494,450;
o 5,784 non-state hunters x $100 permit = $578,400.
• Currently, private landowners are not required to purchase a hunting license for their own
property, preventing them from being counted toward federal grant funding allocations.
With the introduction of bait licenses, TWRA can certify these landowners as hunters for
federal grant eligibility.
• Each certified hunter contributes approximately $31 in federal funding.
• Based on TWRA data, there are an estimated 20,800 landowners under the landowner
license exemption.
• It is estimated if 68 percent of landowners were to buy a bait license, an additional 14,144
(20,800 x 68%) permits would be eligible for federal funding.
• The state is expected to receive an additional $438,464 in federal funding (14,144
landowners x $31 grant allotment).
• This will also result in a corresponding increase in federal expenditures of $438,464.
• The total increase to the TWRA Wildlife Fund in FY25-26 and subsequent years is
estimated to be $6,511,314 ($5,494,450 + $578,400 + $438,464).
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director