HB1696 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 08545 CEL 48672 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1696

Introduced , by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

520 ILCS 5/1.28	from Ch. 61, par. 1.28
520 ILCS 5/3.1	from Ch. 61, par. 3.1
30 ILCS 105/5.305 rep.
520 ILCS 5/1.31 rep.

Amends the Wildlife Code. Repeals the provision concerning the pheasant fund. Makes corresponding changes. Amends the State Finance Act and makes corresponding changes. Effective January 1, 2012.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning wildlife.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing Section 1.28 as follows:

(520 ILCS 5/1.28) (from Ch. 61, par. 1.28)

Sec. 1.28. Fees and fines; deposit in funds. All fees, fines, including bond forfeitures, income of whatsoever kind or nature derived from hunting and fishing activities on lands or waters or both under the jurisdiction or control of the Department, and all penalties collected under this Act shall be deposited in the State Treasury and shall be set apart in a special fund to be known as the "Wildlife and Fish Fund"; except that fees derived solely from the sale of salmon stamps, income from art contests for the salmon stamp, including income from the sale of reprints, and gifts, donations, grants and bequests of money for the conservation and propagation of salmon shall be deposited in the State Treasury and set apart in the special fund to be known as the "Salmon Fund"; and except that fees derived solely from the sale of state migratory waterfowl stamps, and gifts, donations, grants and bequests of money for the conservation and propagation of waterfowl shall be deposited in the special fund to be known as the "State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Fund"; and except that, of fees derived solely from the sale of State Habitat Stamps, 79% 64% shall be deposited into the Illinois Habitat Fund, 30% into the State Pheasant Fund, and 21% 6% into the State Furbearer Fund. Income generated from the sale of artwork associated with the State Habitat Stamps shall be deposited into the Illinois Habitat Fund. All interest that accrues from monies deposited into the Wildlife and Fish Fund, the Salmon Fund, the State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Fund, the State Furbearer Fund, the State Pheasant Fund, and the Illinois Habitat Fund shall be deposited into those funds, respectively. Appropriations from the "Wildlife and Fish Fund" shall be made only to the Department for the carrying out of the powers and functions vested by law in the Department for the administration and management of fish and wildlife resources of this State for such activities as the purchase of land for fish hatcheries, wildlife refuges, preserves and public shooting and fishing grounds; the purchase and distribution of wild birds, the eggs of wild birds, and wild mammals for rescuing, restoring and distributing fish; the maintenance of wildlife refuges, or preserves, public shooting grounds, public fishing grounds and fish hatcheries; and the feeding and care of wild birds, wild animals and fish.

(Source: P.A. 95-853, eff. 8-18-08.)

Section 10. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing Section 3.1 as follows:

(520 ILCS 5/3.1) (from Ch. 61, par. 3.1)

Sec. 3.1. License and stamps required.

(a) Before any person shall take or attempt to take any of the species protected by Section 2.2 for which an open season is established under this Act, he shall first have procured and possess a valid hunting license, except as provided in Section 3.1-5 of this Code.

Before any person 16 years of age or older shall take or attempt to take any bird of the species defined as migratory waterfowl by Section 2.2, including coots, he shall first have procured a State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp.

Before any person 16 years of age or older takes, attempts to take, or pursues any species of wildlife protected by this Code, except migratory waterfowl, coots, and hand-reared birds on licensed game breeding and hunting preserve areas and state controlled pheasant hunting areas, he or she shall first obtain a State Habitat Stamp. Disabled veterans and former prisoners of war shall not be required to obtain State Habitat Stamps. Any person who obtained a lifetime license before January 1, 1993, shall not be required to obtain State Habitat Stamps. Income from the sale of State Furbearer Stamps and State Pheasant Stamps received after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1992 shall be deposited into the State Furbearer Fund and State Pheasant Fund, respectively.

Before any person 16 years of age or older shall take, attempt to take, or sell the green hide of any mammal of the species defined as fur-bearing mammals by Section 2.2 for which an open season is established under this Act, he shall first have procured a State Habitat Stamp.

(b) Before any person who is a non-resident of the State of Illinois shall take or attempt to take any of the species protected by Section 2.2 for which an open season is established under this Act, he shall, unless specifically exempted by law, first procure a non-resident license as provided by this Act for the taking of any wild game.

Before a nonresident shall take or attempt to take white-tailed deer, he shall first have procured a Deer Hunting Permit as defined in Section 2.26 of this Code.

Before a nonresident shall take or attempt to take wild turkeys, he shall have procured a Wild Turkey Hunting Permit as defined in Section 2.11 of this Code.

(c) The owners residing on, or bona fide tenants of, farm lands and their children, parents, brothers, and sisters actually permanently residing on their lands shall have the right to hunt any of the species protected by Section 2.2 upon their lands and waters without procuring hunting licenses; but the hunting shall be done only during periods of time and with devices and by methods as are permitted by this Act. Any person on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States who is now and who was at the time of entering the Armed Forces a resident of Illinois and who entered the Armed Forces from this State, and who is presently on ordinary or emergency leave from the Armed Forces, and any resident of Illinois who is disabled may hunt any of the species protected by Section 2.2 without procuring a hunting license, but the hunting shall be done only during such periods of time and with devices and by methods as are permitted by this Act. For the purpose of this Section a person is disabled when that person has a Type 1 or Type 4, Class 2 disability as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois Identification Card Act. For purposes of this Section, an Illinois Disabled Person Identification Card issued pursuant to the Illinois Identification Card Act indicating that the person named has a Type 1 or Type 4, Class 2 disability shall be adequate documentation of the disability.

(d) A courtesy non-resident license, permit, or stamp for taking game may be issued at the discretion of the Director, without fee, to any person officially employed in the game and fish or conservation department of another state or of the United States who is within the State to assist or consult or cooperate with the Director; or to the officials of other states, the United States, foreign countries, or officers or representatives of conservation organizations or publications while in the State as guests of the Governor or Director. The Director may provide to nonresident participants and official gunners at field trials an exemption from licensure while participating in a field trial.

(e) State Migratory Waterfowl Stamps shall be required for those persons qualifying under subsections (c) and (d) who intend to hunt migratory waterfowl, including coots, to the extent that hunting licenses of the various types are authorized and required by this Section for those persons.

(f) Registration in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program shall be required for those persons who are required to have a hunting license before taking or attempting to take any bird of the species defined as migratory game birds by Section 2.2, except that this subsection shall not apply to crows in this State or hand-reared birds on licensed game breeding and hunting preserve areas, for which an open season is established by this Act. Persons registering with the Program must carry proof of registration with them while migratory bird hunting.

The Department shall publish suitable prescribed regulations pertaining to registration by the migratory bird hunter in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program.

(Source: P.A. 96-1226, eff. 1-1-11.)

(30 ILCS 105/5.305 rep.)

Section 15. The State Finance Act is amended by repealing Section 5.305.

(520 ILCS 5/1.31 rep.)

Section 20. The Wildlife Code is amended by repealing Section 1.31.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2012.