Tracking the Capitols is a 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, angling, recreational 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.
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: Bill sponsors who are members of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses are noted in bold.

Due to the high volume of legislation, Tracking the Capitols only includes bills that have had status updates within the last week. With questions about specific bills, please contact your regional CSF staff member.
Updates for the week of 
July 10, 2017
NORTHEAST
NORTHEASTERN STATES


Introduced: 02/15/2017
Sponsor: Senator Thomas B. Saviello, Co-Chair, Maine Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief: Forest Management
Summary: This bill implements the recommendations of the Commission To Study the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund. The bill establishes additional guidelines that must be followed by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry before it may adopt any rule that would make changes to the annual allowable harvesting level for public reserved lands and nonreserved public lands. The bill directs the department to conduct a detailed forest inventory of the State's public reserved lands.
Status: Veto ed by Governor on June 29

Introduced: 01/23/2017
Sponsor: Representative Josh Cutler, Member, Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief: Firearm Suppressors
Summary:  Relates to the penalty for the possession of firearm suppressor devices used for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of portable firearms.
Status: Scheduled hearing pending (07/18/2017) on July 5
 
Introduced: 01/23/2017
Sponsor: Representative Paul K. Frost, Member, Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief: Firearm Suppressors
Summary:  Relates to penalties for the possession of silencers or firearm noise reduction devices.
Status: Scheduled hearing pending (07/18/2017) on July 5
 
Introduced: 03/20/2017
Sponsor: Representative Russell E. Holmes
Issue Brief: Guns
Summary:  Relates to the transportation of illegal firearms.
Status: Schedul ed hearing pending (07/18/2017) on July 5

Introduced: 03/20/2017
Sponsor: David Paul Linsky
Issue Brief: Guns
Summary:  Relates to extreme risk protective orders.
Status: Scheduled hearing pending (07/18/2017) on July 5
 
Introduced: 01/04/2017
Sponsor: Representative Gene Chandler, Co-Chair, New Hampshire Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief: American System of Conservation Funding
Summary: Provides for a portion of funds in the wildlife habitat account to be used for fish and game department boundary work, and limits expenditures from the wildlife habitat account and fisheries habitat account for equipment and materials; corrects references to legislative committees and removes references to stamps in the fish and game statutes.
Status: Signed by Governor Chris Sununu, Member, Governor's Sportsmen's Caucus  on June 28

Introduced: 04/12/2017
Sponsor: Assembly Member Fred W. Thiele
Issue Brief: General
Summary:  Extends for three years the effectiveness of certain provisions relating to defining spearguns and allowing recreational spearfishing in marine and coastal waters.
Status: Signed by Governor on June 29

Introduced: 03/01/2017
Sponsor: Representative Dan Moul, Member, Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief: Public Access to Private Lands
Summary: Amends the act entitled An act encouraging landowners to make land and water areas available to the public for recreational purposes by limiting liability in connection therewith, and repealing certain acts, provides for liability for landowners to recreational users; provides for attorney fees and court costs.
Status: Referred to House Committee on Appropriations on June 29
 
Introduced: 02/02/2017
Sponsor: Senator Paul W. Fogarty
Issue Brief: General
Summary: Provides for the creation of a new position in the fish and wildlife division of the department of environmental management, and would place oversight of freshwater lakes, streams, and ponds, in the fish and wildlife division; takes effect upon passage.
Status: Senate concurred in House substitute on June 30


SOUTHEAST
SOUTHEASTERN STATES

Introduced:  04/05/2017
Sponsor: Representative Chris Millis, Member, North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:  Sunday Hunting
Summary:  Expands the use of firearms for hunting of wild animals and upland game birds on Sunday; allows hunting of migratory birds on Sunday.
Status:  Ratified for presentation and to Governor on June 30
 
Introduced:  02/15/2017
Sponsor: Senator Jim Davis, Member, North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:  Hunting Dogs
Summary:  Implements the recommendations and guidelines of the national association of state public health veterinarians regarding the management of dogs, cats, and ferrets exposed to rabies
Status:  Signed by Governor on July 12. Session Law 2017-106

Introduced:  03/29/2017
Sponsor: Senator William Cook, Member, North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:  Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA)
Summary:  Creates a program for the permitting of marine aquaculture activities; requires the division of marine fisheries of the Department of Environmental quality to request the issuance of federal rules to allow marine aquaculture in federal Waters off the coast of the state.
Status:  Ratified for presentation and to Governor on June 29

Introduced:  02/08/2017
Sponsor:  Representative Ryan Smith, Member, Ohio Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:  Budget Bills
Summary:  Makes operating appropriations for the biennium beginning July 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2019; provides authorization and conditions for the operation of state programs.
Status:  Enrolled and to Governor. Line item vetoed by Governor on June 30. Session Law No. 2017-14


MIDWEST MIDWESTERN STATES


Introduced: 02/09/2017
Sponsor: Representative Sara Feigenholtz
Issue Brief: General
Summary: Amends the Wildlife Code; provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or trap bobcat in this State on or after the effective date of the bill in the specified counties.
Status: Passed both Houses on June 30
 
Introduced: 02/09/2017
Sponsor: Senator Don Harmon
Issue Brief: Guns
Summary: Creates the Gun Dealer Licensing Act; provides that it is unlawful for a person to engage in the business of selling, leasing, or otherwise transferring firearms without a license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; provides that a dealership agent other than a dealer licensee-in-charge may act on behalf of the licensed dealership without being licensed as a dealer under the Act; creates the Gun Dealer Licensing Board.
Status: Rule 19(a)/ Re-referred to Rules Committee on July 6


WESTWESTERN STATES
 

Introduced:  02/13/2017
Sponsor: Assembly Member Jim Frazier, Co-Chair, California Outdoor Sporting Caucus
Issue Brief: General
Summary:  Deletes the established fee for a resident elk tag. Sets the fee at the average price of the fees required for resident elk tags issued by specified states, as determined annually by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Status:  In Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water: failed passage on July 11

Introduced:  12/05/2016
Sponsor:  Senator Ben Allen
Issue Brief: General
Summary:  Establishes a policy of the state to discourage conveyances of federal public lands in California from the federal government. Specifies that these conveyances are void ab initio unless the state lands commission is provided the right of first refusal or the right to arrange the transfer to a third party. Require the commission, the Wildlife Conservation Board, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into a memorandum of understanding. Prohibits filing such deed. Provides penalties for violations.
Status: From Assembly Committee on Judiciary: Do pass as amended to Committee on Appropriations on July 11
 
Introduced : 3/3/2017
Sponsor: Representative Brian Clem, Member, Oregon Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief : General
Summary : Establishes Oregon Agricultural Heritage Fund and continuously appropriates moneys in fund to Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; authorizes use of moneys for purposes associated with supporting use of land for agricultural production, maintenance or enhancement of fish or wildlife habitat, improvement of water quality or support of other natural resource values; establishes programs to provide grants for qualifying conservation management plans, working land conservation covenants or working land.
Status : Eligible for Governor's desk on July 12

Introduced : 2/1/2017
Sponsor: Department of Administrative Services
Issue Brief : Budget Bills
Summary : Appropriates moneys from General Fund to State Department of Fish and Wildlife for certain biennial expenses; limits certain biennial expenditures from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts and federal funds from Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, but excluding lottery funds and other federal funds, collected or received by department.
Status : Signed into law by Governor on July 3
 
Introduced : 3/28/2017
Sponsor: Senator Arnie Roblan, Member, Oregon Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief : General
Summary : Declares state policy on ocean acidification and hypoxia; establishes Oregon Coordinating Council on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia; establishes duties of coordinating council; requires coordinating council to submit biennial report to Legislative Assembly and Ocean Policy Advisory Council by a specified date of each even-numbered year on coordinating council's activities and recommendations.
Status : Eligible for Governor's desk on July 12
 
Introduced : 1/25/2017
Sponsor: Representative Brian Blake, Co-Chair, Washington Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief : General License
Summary : Increases revenue to the state wildlife account by increasing commercial fishing license fees and streamlining wholesale fish dealing, buying, and selling requirements.
Status : Signed into law by Governor on July 6
 
Introduced : 1/19/2017
Sponsor: Senator Jim Honeyford
Issue Brief : Invasive Species
Summary : Concerns aquatic invasive species management; creates the aquatic invasive species management account is created in the state treasury; provides for funding for aquatic invasive species, ballast water, and biofouling program.
Status : Signed into law by Governor on July 6

Introduced : 6/30/2017
Sponsor: Senator Kirk Pearson, Co-Chair, Washington Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief : General
Summary : Requires the department to create and administer a Columbia river recreational salmon and steelhead endorsement program; requires the program to facilitate improved recreational salmon and steelhead selective fishing opportunities on the Columbia river and its tributaries by supplementing the resources available to the department to carry out the scientific monitoring and evaluation, data collection, permitting, reporting, enforcement; provides program funds may not be used to acquire land.
Status : Received 3rd Special Session Chapter Effective Rule No. 3 on July 6, becomes law.
        SCI SCI is a proud partner of CSF and
sponsors in part TRACKING THE CAPITOLS

 
 
Working with Congress, governors and state legislatures to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping.
 
For more information on the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation visit: 
www.SportsmensLink.org

For additional information on legislation included in this report please contact the appropriate representative: 
 
Senior Director, Northeastern States Brent Miller, at 202-543-6850 x13, or [email protected]
Director, Southeastern States Bee Frederick, at 202-590-0475, or [email protected]
Senior Director, Midwestern States Chris Horton, at 501-865-1475, or [email protected]
Senior Director, Western States Andy Treharne, at 303-789-7589, or [email protected]


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