General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5304
February Session, 2012 *_____HB05304ENV___032212____*
General Assembly
Substitute Bill No. 5304
February Session, 2012
*_____HB05304ENV___032212____*
AN ACT CONCERNING CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS PAID IN LIEU OF FINES FOR HUNTING AND FISHING VIOLATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2012) (a) The court may, in the disposition of any case concerning an alleged violation of any provision of title 26 of the general statutes concerning hunting or inland waters fishing, including a dismissal or the imposition of a sentence, consider the fact that the defendant has made a monetary contribution to the Turn In Poachers account established under section 2 of this act.
(b) In entering a nolle prosequi concerning an alleged violation described in subsection (a) of this section, the state's attorney, assistant state's attorney or deputy assistant state's attorney in charge of the case may consider the fact that the defendant has made a monetary contribution to the Turn In Poachers account established under section 2 of this act.
(c) A monetary contribution made by a defendant to the Turn In Poachers account as provided in this section shall be paid to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. The commissioner shall immediately transmit all contributions received under this section to the State Treasurer for deposit in the Turn In Poachers account.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2012) There is established an account to be known as the "Turn In Poachers account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account and any funds received from any public or private contributions, gifts, grants, donations, bequests or devises to the account. Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to provide grants to the Turn In Poachers nonprofit organization and to staff the department's toll-free hotline that is used by persons to provide information on poaching and other fish and game law violations.
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2012) (a) The court may, in the disposition of any case concerning an alleged violation of any provision of title 26 of the general statutes concerning marine waters fishing, including a dismissal or the imposition of a sentence, consider the fact that the defendant has made a monetary contribution to the Lobster Restoration account established under section 4 of this act.
(b) In entering a nolle prosequi concerning an alleged violation described in subsection (a) of this section, the state's attorney, assistant state's attorney or deputy assistant state's attorney in charge of the case may consider the fact that the defendant has made a monetary contribution to the Lobster Restoration account established under section 4 of this act.
(c) A monetary contribution made by a defendant to the Lobster Restoration account as provided in this section shall be paid to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. The commissioner shall immediately transmit all contributions received under this section to the State Treasurer for deposit in the Lobster Restoration account.
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2012) There is established an account to be known as the "Lobster Restoration account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account and any funds received from any public or private contributions, gifts, grants, donations, bequests or devises to the account. Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection for the purposes of the lobster restoration program established under section 26-157d of the general statutes.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2012 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2012 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2012 New section
Sec. 4 July 1, 2012 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2012
New section
Sec. 2
July 1, 2012
New section
Sec. 3
July 1, 2012
New section
Sec. 4
July 1, 2012
New section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In sections 1(b) and 3(b), "concerning an alleged violation described in subsection (a) of this section" was inserted for clarity and in sections 1(c) and 3(c), "shall" was substituted for "may" for clarity.
ENV Joint Favorable Subst.
ENV
Joint Favorable Subst.