Congressional Sportsmen Foundation: Tracking The Capitols Feb 10th 2009
Weekly update on federal and state legislation affecting sportsmen.
Any Capital City, USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- Welcome to the inaugural issue of the weekly “Tracking the Capitols” report. Tracking the Capitols is intended to keep you informed on the most pertinent and timely federal and state legislation affecting hunting, fishing, and conservation issues currently being tracked by the CSF and NASC policy team. Subscribers to the CSF electronic mailing list will receive this report in their email inbox every Tuesday morning.
Wildlife Violators Compact:
Oklahoma HB 1889 would enact the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. The provisions of the act relating to game and fish include: enacting the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact; listing findings; stating the policy of participating state; stating the purpose of the compact; providing definitions; providing procedures for issuing a citation by a participating state; making personal recognizance acceptable; requiring certain report to the issuing state; providing for transmission of certain information to the home state upon conviction or noncompliance; requiring the home state to notify a violator; authorizing the home state to initiate a license suspension action; requiring due process safeguards; authorizing the home state to enter a conviction in the records; requiring home state to maintain certain records and make certain reports; providing for reciprocal recognition of a suspension by all participating states; requiring communications of suspension information in certain form and content; limiting application of the compact on other law; providing for the establishment of a board of compact administrators; providing for composition of the board; providing for appointment of a state compact administrator; specifying duties of the board; providing for donation to the board; authorizing the board to contract for services; directing the board to formulate procedures and forms; providing procedures for entry into and withdrawal from the compact; providing procedures for amendments to the compact; requiring liberal construction of the compact; providing for severability; requiring the Department of Wildlife Conservation to enforce the compact; authorizing the Director of the Department of Wildlife Conservation to enter or withdraw from the compact and adopt amendments; directing the Department to make a certain determination regarding the suspension of hunting, fishing, or trapping privileges of certain persons; authorizing the Department to recognize the conviction of an issuing state; requiring certain notice; establishing penalty for failure to comply.
Virginia HB 2281 authorizes the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to adopt regulations necessary to be a part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Veterans Bills:
Oregon HB 2029 eliminates hunting and fishing license fees for resident war veterans who are certified as having disability of 10 percent or more.
Minnesota HB 482 eliminates license fees for deer hunting and fishing upon discharge from military service.
Connecticut HB 5274 and HB 5666 would waive fishing license fees for veterans and active duty military personnel
Mississippi HB 1247 offers no-fee hunting and fishing licenses for non-residents with valid active military ID.
Pennsylvania HB 95 Provides no fee fishing licenses for deployed Pennsylvania National Guard and military reservists.
Vermont HB 65 relates to hunting and fishing licenses for Vermont veterans
Virginia HB 1618/1666 allows any organized group of patients residing in and/or receiving outpatient treatment from a veterans or military hospital are allowed to hunt without obtaining a license.
Virginia HB 1950 offers active military personnel state issued resident hunting license at no cost.
Puppy Mills:
Illinois HB 198 and SB 53 is the Dog Breeder License Act by providing for the licensure of dog breeders with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation beginning 6 months after the effective date of the Act. This act would set forth powers and duties of the Department, licensure requirements, grounds for discipline, civil and criminal penalties for violation of the Act, and administrative procedure, and includes provisions concerning exemption from the Act. Also, provides that the Act does not limit the power of a unit of local government from regulating or licensing the practice of dog breeding in a stricter manner. The house bill also amends the Animal Welfare Act by providing that pet shop operators must publicly disclose certain information regarding dogs for sale. It also amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to provide that a licensee who intentionally makes false or misleading statements in connection with the disclosures required by the Dog Breeder License Act and the Animal Welfare Act are violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. The bill amends the Regulatory Sunset Act to set a repeal date of January 1, 2020 for the new Act effective immediately.
Washington HB 1936 and SB 5651 declares that: (1) Current Washington state laws are inadequate regarding the care and husbandry of dogs in puppy mills; (2) No Washington state agency currently regulates puppy mills; (3) The United States department of agriculture does not regulate puppy mills; and (4) An unfair fiscal burden is placed on city, county, and state taxpayers as well as government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, who are required to care for discarded or abused and neglected dogs from puppy mills. Prohibits a person from owning, possessing, controlling of more than twenty-five dogs with intact sexual organs over the age of four months at any time and prescribes penalties for violation.
Maryland HB495 and SB 318 prohibits a person from owning, possessing, or controlling more than 50 breeding dogs over the age of 4 months