SLS 20RS-379 ORIGINAL 2020 Regular Session SENATE BILL NO. 306 BY SENATOR HEWITT WILD REFUGES/PRESERVES. Provides for certain ecological tours traversing wildlife management areas. (8/1/20) 1 AN ACT 2 To enact R.S. 56:109(D)(6), relative to lands administered by the Department of Wildlife 3 and Fisheries; to provide for requirements for use of certain department administered 4 lands; to provide for exceptions from requirements to use certain department 5 administered lands; and to provide for related matters. 6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 7 Section 1. R.S. 56:109(D)(6) is hereby enacted to read as follows: 8 ยง109. Wildlife management areas; wildlife refuges; public hunting grounds and 9 recreation areas; notice; signs; hunters with disabilities 10 * * * 11 D.(1) 12 * * * 13 (6) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, persons conducting 14 or participating in nonconsumptive ecological tours, swamp tours, alligator 15 tours, or similar activities that traverse only the waterways of a wildlife 16 management area shall be exempt from the requirement to hold a Wild 17 Louisiana Stamp, hunting license, fishing license or letter of permit, or payment Page 1 of 2 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 306 SLS 20RS-379 ORIGINAL 1 of a royalty or special fee. The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Tyler S. McCloud. DIGEST SB 306 Original 2020 Regular Session Hewitt Present law authorizes the La. Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to establish, maintain, and manage any state wildlife management area, wildlife refuge, public hunting ground, or outdoor recreation area, as it deems proper for wildlife management purposes. Present law requires a user of department administered lands including wildlife refuges and wildlife management and habitat conservation areas, to hold a Wild Louisiana Stamp, hunting license, or fishing license. Present law further exempts persons under 16 years of age or 60 years of age or older, and persons attending official functions of private, nonprofit, and charitable organizations. Present law also provides for an exemption to the stamp or license requirement for persons using department administered lands for commercial purposes who pay a royalty or special fee, and for persons or groups who use department administered lands for purposes other than fishing or hunting that receive, for good cause, a letter of permit from the secretary. Proposed law exempts from the requirement to hold either a stamp, license, or letter of permit, or pay a royalty or special fee, persons conducting or participating in nonconsumptive ecological tours, swamp tours, alligator tours, or similar activities that traverse only the waterways of a wildlife management area. Effective August 1, 2020. (Adds R.S. 56:109(D)(6)) Page 2 of 2 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions.