Tracking the Capitols is a weekly source of legislation currently being tracked by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation state policy team to keep you informed of the most pertinent and timely state legislation affecting hunting, recreational fishing and shooting and trapping and other conservation issues. Inclusion in Tracking the Capitols does not necessarily constitute support or opposition to legislation by CSF and/or the CSF States Program. The bills noted in this email represent only a fraction of the legislation that CSF’s States Program is monitoring on a day-to-day basis.
Please visit our website for day-to-day updates by CSF’s State Program Team on important sportsmen’s legislation. To view past bills, please visit the Tracking the Capitols Archive under the Media Room tab on the CSF website.
Note: In bold are sponsors who are members of their respective Sportsmen’s Legislative Caucus.
Alabama H 352
Intro Date: 02/26/2013
Sponsor: Representative Mike Jones
Issue Brief: Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary: Relates to game and fish; provides for a resident physically disabled military veteran’s appreciation hunting license; provides for a special physically disabled military veteran’s appreciation three-day trip event hunting license.
Status: From House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry on March 20.
Alaska H 33
Intro Date: 01/15/2013
Sponsor: Representative Mark Neuman, Co-Chair, Alaska Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, Vice President, National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses Executive Council
Issue Brief: Knife Definitions
Summary: Adds definition of “gravity knife” and “switchblade” to the criminal law; relates to reserving the authority to regulate knives to the state with limited exceptions for municipalities to regulate knives.
Status: Passed House and to Senate on March 26.
Connecticut S 1020
Intro Date: 02/28/13
Sponsor: Joint Committee on Environment
Issue Brief: Wildlife Violators Compact
Summary: Concerns the interstate wildlife violator compact; enacts the Wildlife Violator Compact and repeal the Northeast Conservation Law Enforcement Compact that is no longer required.
Status: From Joint Committee on Environment on March 25. Reported favorably and recommended change of reference.
Connecticut H 5844
Intro Date: 01/24/2013
Sponsor: Representative Diana Urban
Issue Brief: Hunting with Dogs
Summary: Concerns the overnight tethering of dogs outdoors and the tethering of dogs outdoors under certain weather conditions; prohibits the overnight tethering of dogs outdoors and to prohibit the tethering of dogs outdoors during certain weather conditions unless shelter is readily accessible to such dog.
Status: From Joint Committee on Environment on March 22. Reported with substitute.
Connecticut H 6654
Intro Date: 03/14/2013
Sponsor: Joint Committee on Environment
Issue Brief: General
Summary: Concerns sportsmen related revisions to the general statutes; authorizes the establishment of a bear hunting season by lottery, require the licensure of hunting and fishing guides, authorize the award of food vending services in state parks and forests to the highest responsible bidder and reduce hunting, trapping and fishing fees for youths and persons under the age of twenty-one.
Status: From Joint Committee on Environment on March 27. Reported with substitute.
Florida S 212
Intro Date: 03/05/13
Sponsor: Senator Alan Hays
Issue Brief: Conservation Funding
Summary: Relates to Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Trust Funds; provides that the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may return certain cash balances transferred for cash flow needs when they are no longer needed for that purpose; deletes a restriction on an expenditure from the Lifetime Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund; renames the Fish and Wildlife Habitat Program as the Land Acquisition Trust Fund; provides for the administration and funding of the save the Manatee Trust Fund.
Status: In House. Placed on Third Reading on March 21.
Georgia H 207
Intro Date: 02/05/2013
Sponsor: Representative Jason Shaw
Issue Brief: Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary: Relates to licenses, permits, and stamps for hunting, trapping, or fishing; provides a definition, authorizes issuance of a special turkey-hunting permit for young and mobility impaired hunters; relates to seasons and bag limits for wildlife; provides for an extended turkey season for young and mobility impaired hunters.
Status: Passed Senate. To House for concurrence on March 26.
Idaho H 278
Intro Date: 03/11/2013
Sponsor: House State Affairs Committee
Issue Brief: Conservation Funding
Summary: Amends existing law relating to fish and game to provide that certain moneys shall be earmarked for sportsmen access programs; revises provisions relating to the transfer and use of certain moneys from the Expendable Big Game Depredation Fund.
Status: From Senate Committee on Resources and Environment on March 25.
Indiana H 1563
Intro Date: 01/22/2013
Sponsor: Representative Sean Eberhart, Member, Indiana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus
Issue Brief: Modern Sporting Rifle
Summary: Relates to fish and wildlife matters; repeals certain prohibitions against the possession or use of a silencer while in the act of hunting.
Status: Order Engrossed on March 25.
Kansas H 2033
Intro Date: 01/18/2013
Sponsor: House Federal and State Affairs Committee
Issue Brief: Knife Definitions
Summary: Relates to concerning the regulation of knives.
Status: Amended on Senate floor on March 26.
Kentucky H 150
Intro Date: 02/05/2013
Sponsor: Representative Mitchell Denham
Issue Brief: Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary: Relates to fish and wildlife; removes the distinction between the commercial and noncommercial taxidermist licenses; abolishes the migratory bird permit; changes the name of the waterfowl permit to the migratory bird permit; separates the senior/disabled combination license into two different licenses; creates a new senior lifetime combination hunting and fishing license; allows the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to offer multi-year licenses or permits for certain existing annual licenses.
Status: Enacted as Act No. 50 on March 21.
Kentucky H 281
Intro Date: 02/07/2013
Sponsor: Representative Keith Hall
Issue Brief: Conservation Funding
Summary: Relates to land conservation and making an appropriation therefor; allows the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund to make grants to private, nonprofit land trust organizations; requires dollar-for-dollar match of funds allocated; allows the board to promulgate administrative regulations to allow grants to be made to private, nonprofit land trust organizations that match the grants dollar-for-dollar.
Status: Signed by Governor on March 21.
Maine LR 479
Intro Date:12/14/2012
Sponsor: Agency and Department
Issue Brief: Conservation Funding
Summary:Strengthens Maine’s assent language for participation in the federal aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.
Status: Assigned Senate Paper number 904 and LD 1265 on March 27.
Maine S 423
Intro Date: 03/26/2013
Sponsor: Agency and Department
Issue Brief: General
Summary: Amends wildlife laws for the purpose of strengthening wildlife populations; adds rock doves to the list of wild birds that may be hunted; adds bear, moose and wild turkey to the list of wild animals a person is prohibited to feed; amends provisions regarding open season for bird hunting; relates to unlawful possession of ruffed grouse; establishes a task force to consider the effect of the importation and possession of wildlife and the issues of possession and exhibition of wildlife in the state.
Status: House refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in concurrence. Senate refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on March 26.
Maryland S 619
Intro Date: 02/01/2013
Sponsor: Senator John Astle, Co-Chair, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, Past President of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses Executive Council
Issue Briefs: General
Summary: Relates to the Wildlife Management and Sustainability Act of 2013.
Status: To House Committee on Environmental Matters on March 21.
Mississippi H 102
Intro Date: 01/11/2013
Sponsor: Representative Robert Moak
Issue Brief: Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary: Requires the commission on wildlife, fisheries and parks to designate wounded warrior special hunt areas within wildlife management areas and wildlife refuges; limits guest admittance to such areas to only one person for each eligible veteran, service member, and certain other persons; requires that funding for specialized accommodations be provided through the Mississippi Outdoor Recreation Fund; authorizes the commission to adopt the necessary rules and regulations for the administration of this act.
Status: Signed by Governor on March 26.
Mississippi H 1139
Intro Date: 01/21/2013
Sponsor: Representative Scott Bounds, Co-Chair, Mississippi Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus
Issue Brief: Right to Hunt/Fish
Summary: Authorizes the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to define the term “bow and arrow” for the purpose of open deer season; authorizes the taking of deer during any primitive weapon season by a hunter with any firearm of choice upon private lands vested in the hunter or upon which hunting rights have been leased to the hunter; provides that if a license is required for the taking of deer upon private lands, the hunter shall purchase and have the license in his possession.
Status: Signed by Governor on March 25.
Montana H 170
Intro Date: 01/07/2013
Sponsor: Representative Wylie Galt
Issue Briefs: General
Summary: Authorizes a 3-day non resident upland bird license; relates to fish and wildlife; relates to state revenue; relates to rule making.
Status: From Senate Committee on Finance and Claims on March 25.
North Carolina H 206
Intro Date: 03/05/2013
Sponsor: Representative Tim Moffitt, Co-Chair, North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus
Issue Brief: Conservation Funding
Summary: Honors the memory of United States Senator Key Pittman and Representative Absalom Willis Robertson; commemorates the seventy-fifth anniversary of the wildlife and sport fish restoration programs.
Status: Passed House on March 27.
North Carolina H 360
Intro Date: 03/19/2013
Sponsor: Assemblyman Harry Brown
Issue Brief: Sunday Hunting
Summary: Allows hunting on Sunday on private land with permission of the owner.
Status: To House Committee on Agriculture on March 21.
Oklahoma H 1244
Intro Date: 02/04/2013
Sponsor: Representative Steve Martin
Issue Brief: Licenses
Summary: Relates to game and fish; relates to fishing licenses; creates a one-day nonresident fishing license; establishes fee for the license; provides for deposit of certain portion of fee in certain funds; updates statutory citation; prohibits persons from capturing nuisance wildlife for commercial purposes without a nuisance wildlife control operator permit; requires completion of the nuisance wildlife control operator certification examination.
Status: From Senate Committee on Tourism and Wildlife on March 25.
Washington S 5231
Intro Date: 01/22/2013
Sponsor: Senator Tim Sheldon
Issue Brief: Apprentice Hunting License
Summary: Ensures hunter safety.
Status: In Senate Committee on Rules on March 26. Indefinitely postponed.
West Virginia S 614
Intro Date: 03/22/2013
Sponsor: Senator Clark Barnes
Issue Brief: Sunday Hunting Restrictions
Summary: Allows local option election to permit Sunday hunting on private property.
Status: To Senate Committee on Natural Resources on March 22.
West Virginia H 3019 I
ntro Date: 03/21/2013
Sponsor: Representative Adam Young
Issue Brief: Firearms While Hunting Afield
Summary: Clarifies circumstances under which a person may possess certain firearms while afield hunting.
Status: To House Committee on Natural Resources on March 21.
