Monday legislative update
here’s what’s still on the docket of bills to be worked through the legislative session
House of Representatives
The House Natural Resources Committee (HNRC) meets Thursdays and Fridays in the Pioneer Room. Members: Todd Porter, Chairman; Chuck Damschen, Vice Chairman; Donald Clark, Duane DeKrey, David Drovdal, Curt Hofstad, George Keiser, Darrell Nottestad, Lyle Hanson, Bob Hunskor, Scot Kelsh, Lee Myxter, Louis Pinkerton.
Senate
The Senate Natural Resources Committee (SNRC) meets Thursdays and Fridays in the Ft. Lincoln Room. Members: Stanley Lyson, Chairman; David Hogue, Vice Chairman; Robert Erbele, Layton Freborg, James Pomeroy, Mac Schneider, Constance Triplett.
Active Bills
HB 1017 - (Appropriations Committee at the request of the Governor) - Appropriates $58,844,032 for the Game and Fish Department for the biennium beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2011. Passed house 90-2. SNRC to hear 3/5, 9 a.m.
HB 1045 - (Legislative Council) - Would continue the prohibition of severance of hunting rights from the surface estate. Passed house 69-21. Bill in senate.
HB 1110 - (Agriculture Committee) - Would prohibit an individual from engaging, sponsoring, assisting or profiting from the release, hunting or trapping of feral swine; would allow a property owner or tenant the ability to shoot a feral swine if posing a risk to them or their property, but must notify the board within 24 hours after such action. Passed house 88-4. Senate Agriculture Committee to hear 3/5, 11 a.m., Roosevelt Park Room.
HB 1125 - (Natural Resources Committee at the request of the Agriculture Commissioner) - Clarifies the current law permitting federal Wildlife Services to control furbearers and big game in cooperation with the North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner and the Game and Fish Director. Passed house 90-0. SNRC to hear 2/27, 9 a.m.
HB 1167 - (Rep’s Delzer, Nottestad, Weiler; Sen’s Freborg, Fischer) - Would allow 13 year olds to
participate in the youth deer season if they turn 14 by the opening day of the November deer gun season. Currently, youth must be 14 by the opening day of the youth hunting season. Passed house 92-0. SNRC to hear 2/27, 9 a.m.
HB 1188 - (Rep’s Porter, Damschen, DeKrey, Hanson; Sen’s Hogue, Lyson) - Increases the penalty for some individuals with multiple Game and Fish offenses. Passed house 92-2. SNRC to hear 3/6, 9 a.m.
HB 1216 - (Rep’s Kerzman, DeKrey, Froelich; Senator Lyson) - Would change the structure of the nonresident small game license from two 7-day periods to three 5-day periods. Passed house 53-40. SNRC heard 2/26, no action taken.
HB 1217 - (Rep’s Kerzman, Froelich, Hanson, Porter; Sen’s Krauter, Lyson, Wanzek) - Would make it illegal to hunt unharvested oilseed crops (sunflower, soybeans, safflower, rapeseed or canola, crambe and flax) without permission of the owner or tenant. Passed house 88-0. Bill in senate.
HB 1227 - (Rep’s Headland, Damschen, Porter; Sen’s Erbele, Hogue) - Would provide an online hunter education course for individuals ages 16 and older; changes the minimum age to participate in the youth deer hunting season from 14 to 12; establishes a provisional license that allows residents over age 18 who have not completed hunters safety to hunt for free during one season for which licenses are not issued by lottery. Passed house 74-20. SNRC heard 2/26, no action taken.
HB 1239 - (Rep’s Hofstad, S. Meyer, Porter; Sen’s Heckaman, Oehlke) - Clarifies that only the owner or tenant, or an individual authorized by the owner, may post land. Passed house 86-2. Bill in senate.
HB 1240 - (Rep’s Hofstad, Hanson, Porter; Sen’s Hogue, Oehlke) - Would change agricultural
exemption from licensure for guides and outfitters. Passed house 91-3. SNRC to hear 3/6, 9 a.m.
HB 1499 - (Rep’s Gruchalla, Griffin, Hanson, S. Kelsh, Schneider; Senator Fiebiger) - Would allow a professional gun dog trainer to obtain a permit designating a training area not to exceed 40 acres. This would allow a professional to train a gun dog at any time within the designated area. Passed house 82-12. SNRC to hear 3/5, 10:45 a.m.
HB 1515 - (Rep’s Onstad, Nathe, Porter, Weiler; Sen’s Hogue, Warner) - Would appropriate $15 million from the state treasury to the Department of Transportation to pave access roadways to Lake Sakakawea. Passed house 48-45. Bill in senate, referred to Senate Transportation Committee.
HB 1567 - (Rep’s Kasper, Griffin, Hofstad, Ruby, Schneider) - Clarifies that a guide or outfitter license is not required for a person who acts as a booking agent for an outfitter. A booking agent is defined as a person who receives only a fee for referring or marketing the services of a legal outfitter in this state. Passed house 87-4, emergency clause carried. Bill in senate.
SB 2146 - (Transportation Committee at the request of the State Treasurer) - Would change the date of payment of state gas tax to the Game and Fish Department from July 1 to any date in July. Passed senate 41-0. House Transportation Committee to hear 2/27, 9 a.m., Fort Totten Room.
SB 2165 - (Sen’s Krauter, Lyson; Rep’s Damschen, DeKrey, Kerzman, Nottestad) - Would allow individuals who are 16 years of age and older who have not taken the hunter education course to be issued an apprentice hunter validation, entitling them to hunt small game and deer for only one license year in a lifetime. Passed senate 47-0 with an emergency clause. HNRC to hear 3/6, 9 a.m.
SB 2264 - (Sen’s Klein, Erbele, Heckaman; Rep’s Damschen, DeKrey, Weisz) - Would create a season-long nonresident small game license for $170, with $40 designated for the PLOTS program. Passed senate 26-19. HNRC to hear 3/5, 9 a.m.
SB 2309 - (Sen’s Potter, Anderson, Heckaman; Rep’s DeKrey, Kaldor, Wall) - Would provide for a study of lands along the Sibley and Sully historic trails for purposes of historical education, heritage tourism and access for public hunting. Passed senate 42-4. Bill in house, referred to Political Subdivisions Committee.
HCR 3021 - (Rep’s Kempenich, Froelich; Sen’s Erbele, Taylor) - A concurrent resolution urging the United States Fish and Wildlife Service not to list the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. House adopted. Resolution in senate, referred to SNRC.
