Introduced:
01/12/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Stephen G. Harding
Issue Brief:
Exotic Invasive Species
Summary:
Concerns lake authorities and combating invasive plant and animal species; provides grants to lake authorities in their efforts to combat invasive plant and animal species.
Status:
Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis on March 6
Introduced:
01/20/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Caroline Simmons
Issue Brief:
Guns (General)
Summary:
Concerns the presentation of a carry permit; requires individuals openly carrying to produce their permit if their firearm is visible and if requested by a law enforcement officer.
Status:
To Joint Committee on Judiciary on March 3
Introduced:
01/19/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Bob Duff
Issue Brief:
"Big 5" Trophy Importation Bans
Summary:
Concerns Cecil's law; deters the taking of big-game animals as hunting trophies.
Status:
Public hearing scheduled (03/13/2017) on March 9
Introduced:
01/20/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Carlo Leone
Issue Brief:
Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary:
Provides for discounted hunting, trapping and fishing licenses for certain veterans; promotes activities that may assist rehabilitation and recuperation for certain veterans with service-connected disability ratings from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Status:
Filed with Legislative Commissioner's Office on March 6
Introduced:
01/10/2017
Sponsor: Representative Russell Black, Member, Maine Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary:
Allows persons of a certain age to receive a permit to lawfully take an antlerless deer during the open season on deer; directs the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to designate which hunting zones are open to the taking of antlerless deer.
Status:
In Senate; Placed in legislative file (dead) on March 2
Introduced:
01/10/2017
Sponsor: Representative Peter A. Lyford, Member, Maine Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
This bill repeals the prohibition against baiting deer.
Status:
Work session held on March 7
Introduced:
01/20/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Lester A. Ordway
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Allows the use of a spear or speargun to fish for northern pike in Sebago Lake.
Status:
In Senate; Placed in legislative file (dead) on March 2
Introduced:
01/27/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Abden S. Simmons
Issue Brief:
Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary:
This bill requires an antlerless deer permit system adopted by the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to give priority in the issuance of a permit to a veteran who was honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard.
Status:
Work session held on March 7
Introduced:
01/27/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Christina Riley
Issue Brief:
White-tailed Deer Management - Hunting as a Preferred Management Tool
Summary:
Requires the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, if antlerless deer permits are issued, to issue antlerless deer permits to applicants who are chosen through a public chance drawing. The commissioner is required to adopt rules by November 1, 2017 establishing a public chance drawing for antlerless deer permits.
Status:
Work session held on March 7
Introduced:
01/31/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Seth A. Berry
Issue Brief:
Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary:
Allows a veteran who has a service-connected disability evaluated at 100% by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the United States Armed Forces who is issued an antlerless deer permit to choose a wildlife management district in which the person may take an antlerless deer as long as that district is open to the taking of antlerless deer.
Status:
Work session held on March 7
Introduced:
01/31/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Nathan J. Wadsworth
Issue Brief:
White-tailed Deer Management - Hunting as a Preferred Management Tool
Summary:
This bill limits deer hunters to harvesting only deer with 3 or more tines of one inch or longer along the main beam of either or both antlers.
Status:
Work session held on March 7
Introduced:
02/01/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Phyllis A. Ginzler
Issue Brief:
Exotic Invasive Species
Summary:
This bill requires that any passive watercraft placed or operated on the inland waters of the State have an invasive aquatic plant and nuisance species sticker affixed on its bow. This sticker may be purchased for a one-time fee of $5, and the fee revenues from the sale of the sticker will be credited to the Invasive Aquatic Plant and Nuisance Species Fund established in the Department of Environmental Protection under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 1863 and to the Lake and River Protection Fund established within the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife under Title 12, section 10257. These two funds, among other things, support invasive aquatic plant and nuisance species prevention, containment, eradication and management activities in the State.
Status:
Work session held on March 7
Introduced:
02/03/2017
Sponsor: Representative Russell Black, Member, Maine Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
This bill establishes a limited season for fishing from October 1st to October 31st, during which a holder of a fishing license may catch fish as long as the fish is immediately returned to the water in which it was caught.
Status:
In Senate; Placed in legislative file (dead) on March 7
Introduced:
02/03/2017
Sponsor: Representative Richard A. Pickett, Member, Maine Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Public Access to Private Lands; White-tailed Deer Management - Hunting as a Preferred Management Tool; Hunter Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation
Summary:
This bill amends the current antlerless deer hunting permit system to require that all antlerless deer permits available in a wildlife management district be issued to landowners of record who own at least 50 contiguous acres of land open to hunting by the public and have applied for the permit. It also provides that if the number of available antlerless deer permits in a wildlife management district exceeds the number of eligible landowner applications, the remaining permits must be issued to junior hunters who have applied for an antlerless deer permit in that district. If the number of antlerless deer permits available in a wildlife management district exceeds the number of eligible landowner applications and junior hunter applications, the commissioner is directed to issue the remaining permits as provided in current law.
Status:
Work session held on March 7
Introduced:
02/07/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Jonathan L. Kinney
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
This bill allows ice fishing on Baker Lake and Third, Fourth and Fifth St. John ponds in Somerset County.
Status:
Senate refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in concurrence on February 14
Introduced:
03/01/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Lance Evans Harvell
Issue Brief:
White-tailed Deer Management - Hunting as a Preferred Management Tool
Summary:
Summary This bill prohibits the feeding of deer from August 15th to December 15th.
Status:
Senate refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in concurrence on March 2
Introduced:
03/01/2017
Sponsor: Representative Gary L. Hilliard, Member, Maine Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Licenses (General)
Summary:
Establishes resident and nonresident comprehensive hunting licenses that allow hunting of all legal species subject to the moose, pheasant, migratory waterfowl, special season deer and antlerless deer permit requirements; provides a fee for the resident comprehensive hunting license is a specified amount and the fee for the nonresident comprehensive hunting license is a specified amount; establishes resident and nonresident comprehensive combination hunting and fishing licenses.
Status:
Senate refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in concurrence on March 2
Introduced:
03/02/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Stephen S. Stanley
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Amends the law regarding the number of moose permits made available through a chance drawing to hunting outfitters, which is currently calculated as 10% of the number of permits made available in the public chance drawing above 3,140; sets the number of moose permits made available to hunting outfitters at 10% of the number of permits in excess of the average number of permits made available in the public chance drawing per year since 1982 or 100, whichever is greater.
Status:
Senate refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in concurrence on March 7
Introduced:
03/03/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Timothy S. Theriault
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
This bill requires the court to order the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to issue a permit to take a deer or moose to a person found not to have violated the inland fisheries and wildlife laws when a deer or moose taken by the person and seized by the department had been disposed of before that finding was made.
Status:
Senate refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in concurrence on March 7
Introduced:
03/03/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Dustin Michael White
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
This bill allows a person who has legally harvested an animal to keep the unregistered animal until a registration station within a reasonable distance of the person is open if no registration stations within a reasonable distance of the person are open due to a holiday or other legitimate reason.
Status:
Senate refers to Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in concurrence on March 7
Introduced:
01/18/2017
Sponsor:
House Environment and Transportation Committee
Issue Brief:
American System of Conservation Funding
Summary:
Clarifies the authorized uses of the State Wildlife Management and Protection Fund; repeals specified requirements that the Department of Natural Resources use specified funds from specified hunting license sales for specified purposes; requires a person who harvests a game bird or mammal to report the harvest in accordance with specified regulations.
Status:
In Senate Committee on Education, Health and Environmental Affairs on March 21
Introduced:
01/25/2017
Sponsor: Delegate Jay Jacobs, Member, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Sunday Hunting Restrictions
Summary:
Authorizes a person to hunt turkey on private property in Kent County on Sundays during the spring turkey hunting season.
Status:
Second reading passed; to third reading on March 7
Introduced:
01/25/2017
Sponsor: Delegate Jay Jacobs, Member, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Sunday Hunting Restrictions
Summary:
Authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to allow a person to hunt deer on private property on Sundays in Kent County throughout all deer hunting seasons, subject to specified provisions of law.
Status:
Second reading passed; to third reading on March 7
Introduced:
01/30/2017
Sponsor:
Delegate Jim Gilchrist
Issue Brief:
Substandard Kennels
Summary:
Requires an animal shelter to follow a certain written protocol for reclaiming animals; requiring the Department of Agriculture, on or before a certain date, to adopt certain minimum standards of care for dogs and cats in animal shelters; requires an animal shelter to follow certain minimum standards of care; requires the Department to adopt certain regulations on or before a certain date; relates to animal shelters.
Status:
In Senate Committee on Education, Health and Environmental Affairs on March 21
Introduced:
02/03/2017
Sponsor: Eastern Shore Delegation
Issue Brief:
Sunday Hunting Restrictions
Summary:
Authorizes a person to hunt deer under a Deer Management Permit on any Sunday throughout the year, including all deer hunting seasons; alters the application of specified provisions of law governing Deer Management Permits in Charles County and St. Mary's County.
Status:
Third reading passed on March 9
Introduced:
01/11/2017
Sponsor: Delegate Paul Pinsky
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Relates to Forest Conservation Act; clarifies the authority of certain units of local government to adopt certain forest conservation thresholds and afforestation and reforestation requirements that are more stringent that certain forest conservation thresholds and forestation requirements in State law.
Status:
In House Committee on Environment and Transportation on March 22
Introduced:
01/11/2017
Sponsor: Senator Bryan W. Simonaire, Member, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military, Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary:
Relates to active military, former prisoners of war, recipients of the Purple Heart award, and disabled veterans.
Status:
In House Committee on Environment and Transportation on March 22
Introduced:
01/11/2017
Sponsor: Senator Steve Waugh, Member, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Relates to harvest times.
Status:
In House Committee on Environment and Transportation on March 22
Introduced:
01/11/2017
Sponsor: Senator Bryan W. Simonaire, Member, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Hunter Education
Summary:
Relates to hunter safety courses; relates to application of requirement; requires a certain person to make an affidavit that the person hunted before a certain date rather than that the person had a certain hunting license; establishes a program to provide incentives for the successful completion of a hunter safety course by an individual who is not required by law to complete a hunter safety course.
Status:
In House Committee on Environment and Transportation on March 22
Introduced:
01/11/2017
Sponsor: Senator Bryan Simonaire, Member, Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Enforcement
Summary:
Relates to interstate boating violator compact.
Status:
In House Committee on Environment and Transportation on March 22
Introduced:
01/20/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Ronald N. Young
Issue Brief:
Fishing Tournaments
Summary:
Prohibiting a person from organizing, sponsoring, promoting, conducting, or participating in a cownose ray fishing tournament in State waters; and requiring the Secretary of Natural Resources to adopt specified regulations.
Status:
In House Committee on Environment and Transportation on March 22
Introduced:
02/01/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Ronald Young
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Repeals a prohibition in Frederick County against hunting or attempting to hunt nongame birds and mammals without first obtaining a hunting license.
Status:
In House Committee on Environment and Transportation on March 22
Introduced:
02/02/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Brian Feldman
Issue Brief:
Substandard Kennels
Summary:
Requires a person to obtain a kennel license from a local licensing agency if the person owns or has custody of a maximum specified number, instead of a previous specified number, specified female dogs kept for specified breeding purposes or if the person Sells dogs from a specified number of litters or more in a year.
Status:
Second reading passed with amendments; to third reading on March 8
Introduced:
01/27/2017
Sponsor:
Assembly Member Jon Bramnick
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Requires Department of Environmental Protection to establish private wildlife habitat certification program; creates affirmative defense against municipal nuisance ordinances for properties certified under the program.
Status:
From Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources on March 6
Introduced:
03/06/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Brian P. Stack
Issue Brief:
Ammunition
Summary:
Requires photo identification for handgun ammunition purchases.
Status:
Introduced on March 6
Introduced:
03/06/2017
Sponsor:
Filed bySenate
Issue Brief:
Senator Brian P. Stack
Summary:
Requires electronic reporting of handgun ammunition sales.
Status:
Introduced on March 6
Introduced:
01/09/2017
Sponsor: Assembly Member Aileen M. Gunther, Co-Chair, New York Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Crossbows
Summary:
Authorizes the taking of wildlife by the use of a crossbow; makes related provisions.
Status:
Amended in Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation on March 3
Introduced:
02/14/2017
Sponsor:
Assembly Member Dan Quart
Issue Brief:
Knife Ban Repeal
Summary:
Amends the Penal Law; relates to the definition of a gravity knife; removes reference to the application of centrifugal force from the definition of a gravity knife.
Status:
Amended in Assembly Committee on Codes on March 2
Introduced:
03/02/2017
Sponsor:
Assembly Member Steve Englebright
Issue Brief:
Guns (General)
Summary:
Amends the Penal Law; provides for the labeling of all shipments of firearms, and shipments of shotguns and rifles in jurisdictions which require a permit or license to possess a rifle or shotgun; provides for manifests for transportation thereof, notice to the superintendent of state police, transporters to know what they are transporting when reasonably possible, and for postponement of delivery pending police investigation.
Status:
To Assembly Committee on Codes on March 2
Introduced:
03/06/2017
Sponsor: Assembly Member Anthony J. Brindisi, Member, New York Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Licenses (General)
Summary:
Amends the Environmental Conservation Law; relates to the transfer of lifetime hunting licenses.
Status:
To Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation on March 6
Introduced:
03/06/2017
Sponsor: Assembly Member Brian D. Miller, Member, New York Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Guns (General)
Summary:
Allows individuals, duly licensed out-of-state to carry a pistol or firearm, authority to carry such weapon within New York State for a limited duration with proper documentation.
Status:
To Assembly Committee on Codes on March 7
Introduced:
03/06/2017
Sponsor: Assembly Member Anthony J. Brindisi, Member, New York Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Standard Capacity Magazines
Summary:
Repeals provision of law prohibiting the possession of certain large capacity ammunition feeding devices and the exemption of certain ammunition feeding devices at firing ranges.
Status:
To Assembly Committee on Codes on March 7
Introduced:
03/02/2017
Sponsor: Representative Bryan Barbin, Member, Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military, Hunting and Angling Privileges
Summary:
Amends Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in fishing licenses; provides for exemptions from license requirements.
Status:
To House Committee on Game and Fisheries on March 2
Introduced:
03/07/2017
Sponsor: Representative Neal Goodman, Member, Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Relates to hunting and furtaking; provides for unlawful devices and methods.
Status:
To House Committee on Game and Fisheries on March 7
Introduced:
03/07/2017
Sponsor: Representative Neal Goodman, Member, Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Licenses (General)
Summary:
Amends Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in enforcement; provides for revocation, suspension or denial of license, permit or registration.
Status:
To House Committee on Game and Fisheries on March 7
Introduced:
03/07/2017
Sponsor: Representative Neal Goodman, Member, Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus
Issue Brief:
Licenses (General)
Summary:
Relates hunting and furtaking licenses; provides for antlerless deer licenses.
Status:
To House Committee on Game and Fisheries on March 7
Introduced:
03/02/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Wayne Langerholc
Issue Brief:
Firearms Preemption
Summary:
Amends Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions; provides for findings regarding firearms and ammunition; relates to preemptions; provides for regulation of firearms and ammunition.
Status:
To Senate Committee on Local Government on March 2
Introduced:
03/01/2017
Sponsor:
Representative David A. Bennett
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Would require any person who sustains an injury to themselves or causes an injury to another while hunting or trapping to report the injury to the department of environmental management immediately. This act would take effect upon passage.
Status:
To House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on March 1
Introduced:
03/01/2017
Sponsor:
Representative Ramon Perez
Issue Brief:
Guns (General)
Summary:
Would allow those persons with concealed carry permits issued by other states to carry upon their person weapons in Rhode Island provided that the issuing state recognizes and gives reciprocity to RI permit holders. This act would take effect upon passage.
Status:
To House Committee on Judiciary on March 1
Introduced:
01/18/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Nicholas D. Kettle
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
Would permit fishing in trout waters at any time of year without seasonal restriction. This act would take effect upon passage.
Status:
Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/08/2017) on March 6
Introduced:
02/01/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Joshua Miller
Issue Brief:
General
Summary:
(Resolution) Would extend the reporting and expiration dates for the special legislative commission to study waterfowl hunting laws and regulations from January 3, 2017, to November 1, 2017, and said commission would expire on December 31, 2017.
Status:
Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/08/2017) on March 6
Introduced:
03/02/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Stephen R. Archambault
Issue Brief:
Guns (General)
Summary:
Provides the Attorney General with the authority to enter into agreements with other states to recognize concealed handgun permits issued by Rhode Island as valid in other states; authorizes concealed handgun permits issued by other states as valid in Rhode Island when certain conditions are met; provides that Rhode Island would recognize official law enforcement identification cards permitting carrying concealed handguns issued by any other state.
Status:
To Senate Committee on Judiciary on March 2
Introduced:
03/02/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Stephen R. Archambault
Issue Brief:
Firearm Suppressors
Summary:
Defines a firearm silencer and permit the use of such a device on any firearm with an overall length of seventeen inches or greater and would permit the use of such a device for lawful hunting activity.
Status:
To Senate Committee on Judiciary on March 2
Introduced:
03/02/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Joshua Miller
Issue Brief:
Guns (General)
Summary:
Establishes it unlawful for any person carry a rifle or shotgun in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about their person except under limited circumstances of at least fifteen years imprisonment; provides an enhanced penalty to those who unlawfully sold, transferred, given, conveyed, or caused to be sold, transferred, given or conveyed a firearm to any person under eighteen years of age and that firearm is used in a crime of violence.
Status:
To Senate Committee on Judiciary on March 2
Introduced:
03/03/2017
Sponsor:
Senator Christopher A. Pearson
Issue Brief:
Ivory Bans
Summary:
Relates to the sale of ivory or rhinoceros horn.
Status:
Introduced on March 3