104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1951 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Linda Holmes SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to trap or to hunt gray fox except during an open season, which may (rather than will) be set annually by the Director of Natural Resources between 12:01 a.m., November 1 to 12:00 midnight, February 15, both inclusive. Allows the Director, by administrative rule, to set the dates of, lengthen, shorten, or close the season during which gray fox may be taken. Allows the Director to also set, lessen, or increase the daily bag limit or possession limit of gray fox by administrative rule. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Department of Natural Resources emergency rulemaking powers. Effective immediately. LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1951 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Linda Holmes SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new 520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4 520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to trap or to hunt gray fox except during an open season, which may (rather than will) be set annually by the Director of Natural Resources between 12:01 a.m., November 1 to 12:00 midnight, February 15, both inclusive. Allows the Director, by administrative rule, to set the dates of, lengthen, shorten, or close the season during which gray fox may be taken. Allows the Director to also set, lessen, or increase the daily bag limit or possession limit of gray fox by administrative rule. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Department of Natural Resources emergency rulemaking powers. Effective immediately. LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1951 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Linda Holmes SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new 520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4 520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4
520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30
Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to trap or to hunt gray fox except during an open season, which may (rather than will) be set annually by the Director of Natural Resources between 12:01 a.m., November 1 to 12:00 midnight, February 15, both inclusive. Allows the Director, by administrative rule, to set the dates of, lengthen, shorten, or close the season during which gray fox may be taken. Allows the Director to also set, lessen, or increase the daily bag limit or possession limit of gray fox by administrative rule. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Department of Natural Resources emergency rulemaking powers. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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SB1951 LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b
1 AN ACT concerning wildlife.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is
5 amended by adding Section 5-45.65 as follows:
6 (5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new)
7 Sec. 5-45.65. Emergency rulemaking; Department of Natural
8 Resources. To provide for the expeditious and timely
9 implementation of this amendatory Act of the 104th General
10 Assembly, emergency rules implementing the changes made to the
11 Wildlife Code by this amendatory Act of the 104th General
12 Assembly may be adopted in accordance with Section 5-45 by the
13 Department of Natural Resources. The adoption of emergency
14 rules authorized by Section 5-45 and this Section is deemed to
15 be necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.
16 This Section is repealed one year after the effective date
17 of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.
18 Section 10. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
19 Sections 1.4 and 2.30 as follows:
20 (520 ILCS 5/1.4) (from Ch. 61, par. 1.4)
21 Sec. 1.4. The Department is authorized to make rules and
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1951 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Linda Holmes SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30 5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new 520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4 520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4
520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30
Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that it shall be unlawful for any person to trap or to hunt gray fox except during an open season, which may (rather than will) be set annually by the Director of Natural Resources between 12:01 a.m., November 1 to 12:00 midnight, February 15, both inclusive. Allows the Director, by administrative rule, to set the dates of, lengthen, shorten, or close the season during which gray fox may be taken. Allows the Director to also set, lessen, or increase the daily bag limit or possession limit of gray fox by administrative rule. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants the Department of Natural Resources emergency rulemaking powers. Effective immediately.
LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b
LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b
A BILL FOR
5 ILCS 100/5-45.65 new
520 ILCS 5/1.4 from Ch. 61, par. 1.4
520 ILCS 5/2.30 from Ch. 61, par. 2.30
LRB104 12107 BDA 22206 b
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1 regulations for carrying out, administering and enforcing the
2 provisions of this Act. These rules and regulations shall be
3 called and hereinafter referred to as administrative rules.
4 Each rule shall be promulgated in accordance with the
5 Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
6 A copy of any such rule, under the seal of the Department
7 and certified by the Director thereof shall be received in
8 evidence in all courts of this State with the same effect as
9 the original.
10 Such rules, after becoming effective, shall be enforced in
11 the same manner as are any other provisions of this Act and
12 violators thereof are subject to the penalties set out in
13 Section 3.5 of this Act.
14 The Department may adopt emergency rules in accordance
15 with Sections 5-45 and 5-45.65. of the Illinois Administrative
16 Procedure Act. The adoption of emergency rules authorized by
17 Sections 5-45 and 5-45.65 of the Illinois Administrative
18 Procedure Act and this paragraph is deemed to be necessary for
19 the public interest, safety, and welfare.
20 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
21 (520 ILCS 5/2.30) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.30)
22 Sec. 2.30. Except as provided in this Section, it shall be
23 unlawful for any person to trap or to hunt with gun, dog, dog
24 and gun, or bow and arrow, gray fox, red fox, raccoon, weasel,
25 mink, muskrat, badger, bobcat, and opossum except during the
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1 open season which will be set annually by the Director between
2 12:01 a.m., November 1 to 12:00 midnight, February 15, both
3 inclusive.
4 Except as provided in this Section, it shall be unlawful
5 for any person to trap or to hunt gray fox except during an
6 open season, which may be set annually by the Director between
7 12:01 a.m., November 1 to 12:00 midnight, February 15, both
8 inclusive. When the biological balance of the gray fox is
9 affected for any reason, the Director may, by administrative
10 rule, set the dates of, lengthen, shorten, or close the season
11 during which gray fox may be taken. The Director may also set,
12 lessen, or increase the daily bag limit or possession limit of
13 gray fox by administrative rule.
14 It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or trap bobcat
15 in this State on and after the effective date of this
16 amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly in the counties
17 of Boone, Bureau, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, DeWitt, DuPage,
18 Ford, Grundy, Henry, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox,
19 Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Marshall, McHenry,
20 McLean, Ogle, Peoria, Piatt, Putnam, Stark, Stephenson,
21 Vermilion, Will, Winnebago, and Woodford and north of U.S.
22 Route 36 in Edgar and Douglas and north of U.S. Route 36 to the
23 junction with Illinois Route 121 and north or east of Illinois
24 Route 121 in Macon. For the season beginning in 2017, a total
25 number of 350 bobcats may be hunted or trapped lawfully, or the
26 conclusion of the season occurs, whichever is earlier. For the
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1 season beginning in 2018, a total number of 375 bobcats may be
2 hunted or trapped lawfully, or the conclusion of the season
3 occurs, whichever is earlier. The changes added to this
4 Section by this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly,
5 except for this sentence, are inoperative on and after June
6 30, 2019.
7 It is unlawful to pursue any fur-bearing mammal with a dog
8 or dogs between the hours of sunset and sunrise during the 10
9 day period preceding the opening date of the raccoon hunting
10 season and the 10 day period following the closing date of the
11 raccoon hunting season except that the Department may issue
12 field trial permits in accordance with Section 2.34 of this
13 Act. A non-resident from a state with more restrictive
14 fur-bearer pursuit regulations for any particular species than
15 provided for that species in this Act may not pursue that
16 species in Illinois except during the period of time that
17 Illinois residents are allowed to pursue that species in the
18 non-resident's state of residence. Hound running areas
19 approved by the Department shall be exempt from the provisions
20 of this Section.
21 It shall be unlawful to take beaver, river otter, weasel,
22 mink, or muskrat except during the open season set annually by
23 the Director, and then, only with traps, except that a
24 firearm, pistol, or air rifle of a caliber not larger than a
25 .22 long rifle may be used to remove the animal from the trap.
26 It shall be unlawful for any person to trap beaver or river
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1 otter with traps except during the open season which will be
2 set annually by the Director between 12:01 a.m., November 1st
3 and 12:00 midnight, March 31, both inclusive.
4 Coyote may be taken by trapping methods only during the
5 period from September 1 to March 1, both inclusive, and by
6 hunting methods at any time.
7 Striped skunk may be taken by trapping methods only during
8 the period from September 1 to March 1, both inclusive, and by
9 hunting methods at any time.
10 Muskrat may be taken by trapping methods during an open
11 season set annually by the Director.
12 For the purpose of taking fur-bearing mammals, the State
13 may be divided into management zones by administrative rule.
14 It shall be unlawful to take or possess more than the
15 season limit or possession limit of fur-bearing mammals that
16 shall be set annually by the Director. The season limit for
17 bobcat shall not exceed one bobcat per permit. Possession
18 limits shall not apply to fur buyers, tanners, manufacturers,
19 and taxidermists, as defined by this Act, who possess
20 fur-bearing mammals in accordance with laws governing such
21 activities.
22 Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the taking or
23 possessing of fur-bearing mammals found dead or
24 unintentionally killed by a vehicle along a roadway during the
25 open season provided the person who possesses such fur-bearing
26 mammals has all appropriate licenses, stamps, or permits; the
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1 season for which the species possessed is open; and that such
2 possession and disposal of such fur-bearing mammals is
3 otherwise subject to the provisions of this Section.
4 The provisions of this Section are subject to modification
5 by administrative rule.
6 (Source: P.A. 102-837, eff. 5-13-22.)
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