H.B. No. 0073

Preference points for hunting licenses.

 

Sponsored By:                              Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee

 

AN ACT relating to game and fish; granting the game and fish commission authority to establish preference point programs for hunting licenses and permits; authorizing the establishment of fees; making conforming amendments; and providing for effective dates.

 

 

12/31/2002        Bill Number Assigned

1/14/2003         H Received for Introduction

1/14/2003         H Introduced and Referred to H06

1/23/2003         H06 Recommended Amend and Do Pass

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Representative(s) Baker, Edwards, Harshman, Iekel, McMurtrey, Morgan, Powers, Slater and Thompson

Ayes 9    Nays 0    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

1/23/2003         H Placed on General File

 

1/27/2003         H Amendments Considered

HB0073HS001/A     ADOPTED

Page 1-line 9                                          After "23‑1‑703" insert "(b),".

Page 1-line 11                                        After "23‑2‑101" insert "(g),".

Page 2-after line 17                               Insert:

"(b)  Except as specifically provided under this subsection, subsection (f) of this section or W.S. 23‑1‑705(a), no person may apply for and receive more than one (1) moose or one (1) bighorn sheep license in any consecutive five (5) year period.  Effective for the 1995 hunting season and each hunting season thereafter, licenses issued under this subsection shall be based upon the number of points assigned to each applicant for a particular species. Effective January 1, 2000, licenses issued under this subsection shall be issued partially through a preference point drawing and partially through a random drawing of all remaining unsuccessful applicants for that year.  The department shall assign points to each license applicant for a specific species by multiplying the number of years the applicant has unsuccessfully applied for a license times one (1). The calculation used to assign points to an applicant for a particular species under this subsection shall include any year the applicant does not apply for a big or trophy game animal hunting license for that species, provided in the case of a resident the applicant pays the fee specified in W.S. 23‑2‑101(k) and in the case of a nonresident the applicant pays the appropriate fee established by the commission under W.S. 23‑2‑101(m). License applicants within each hunt area for a species shall be grouped according to the number of assigned points for that species. Not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of available licenses within any hunt area shall be randomly selected through a preference point drawing from among the group of applicants with the largest number of assigned points and shall continue until all applicants within that group have been exhausted or until all available licenses have been issued, whichever first occurs. If any applicant grouping has been exhausted and licenses remain available within that hunt area, selection shall continue from among the group of applicants with the next largest number of assigned points. After the selections through the preference point drawing have been completed within a hunt area, the remaining licenses available from that drawing and the licenses available for the random drawing for that hunt area will be issued through a random selection from among all applicants in the hunt area who were not selected for issuance of a license for the species through the preference point drawing in that hunt area. For purposes of assigning points under this subsection, any unsuccessful license applicant failing to apply for a license during the second calendar year shall be considered to be a first year applicant for any subsequent calendar year in which the applicant submits license application for that particular species.".

Page 3-after line 15               Insert:

                "(g)  In promulgating rules and regulations for the taking of bighorn sheep and moose, the commission shall not discriminate between residents and nonresidents regarding the maturity, horn size or sex of the animals which may be taken. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting the commission from issuing a different number of licenses for residents and nonresidents or from requiring a preference point fee from nonresidents only pursuant to subsection (m) of this section.".

Page 3-line 17                                        Strike "person" insert "resident".

Page 4-line 6                                          After "antelope," insert "nonresident big horn sheep, nonresident moose,". 

Page 4-line 20                        After "dates." insert "Nothing in this subsection authorizes the commission to establish or retain a fee for resident moose or resident big horn sheep license preference points in addition to the fee established by subsection (k) of this section or to establish rules for big horn sheep or moose preference point drawings in conflict with the provisions of W.S. 23‑1‑703(b).  For nonresident big horn sheep and nonresident moose licenses, the commission may establish by rule a nonrefundable preference point fee to be retained from the license fee submitted and may establish a fee in lieu of making application in an amount greater than that established under subsection (k) of this section, but neither fee shall exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00).".  BAKER, CHAIRMAN

 

1/27/2003         H Passed CoW

1/28/2003         H Passed 2nd Reading

1/29/2003         H Passed 3rd Reading

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Representative(s) Alden, Anderson, R., Bagby, Baker, Berger, Boswell, Brechtel, Buchanan, Childers, Cohee, Cooper, Diercks, Edwards, Esquibel, Gentile, Gilmore, Harshman, Harvey, Hinckley, Iekel, Illoway, Jansen, Johnson, L., Johnson, W., Jones, Jorgensen, Landon, Law, Lockhart, Luthi, Martin, McMurtrey, McOmie, Meuli, Meyer, Miller, D., Morgan, Nicholas, Olsen, Osborn, Parady, Petersen, Philp, Powers, Prosser, Reese, Robinson, Ross, Simpson, Slater, Thompson, Tipton, Walsh and Warren.

Nays:  Representative(s) Bucholz, Hageman, Latta, Semlek, Wasserburger and Wostenberg.

Ayes 54    Nays 6    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

1/30/2003         S Received for Introduction

2/3/2003          S Introduced and Referred to S06

2/14/2003         S06 Recommended Amend and Do Pass

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Senator(s) Boggs, Burns, Hanes and Roberts

Nays:  Senator(s) Goodenough

Ayes 4    Nays 1    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

2/14/2003         S Placed on General File

 

2/24/2003         S Amendments Considered

HB0073SS001/AE    (TO ENGROSSED COPY)     ADOPTED

Page 4-line 16                                        After "license" insert "or paying the applicable fee in lieu of applying,".

Page 7-line 6                                          After "subsection" insert "for antelope, deer or elk".  ROBERTS, CHAIRMAN

 

2/24/2003         S Failed CoW; Indef Postponed

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Senator(s) Anderson, J., Barrasso, Boggs, Burns, Decaria, Hanes, Larson, Massie, Meier, Peck, Roberts, Scott, Sessions and Vasey.

Nays:  Senator(s) Barton, Caller, Case, Cathcart, Coe, Devin, Erb, Geis, Goodenough, Hawks, Hines, Job, Kunz, Mockler, Northrup and Schiffer.

Ayes 14    Nays 16    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0