Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1011 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2410 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1011
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	David K. Muradian, Jr.
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to critical wildlife habitat management.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David K. Muradian, Jr.9th Worcester1/16/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2410 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1011
18	18	By Representative Muradian of Grafton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1011) of
19	19	David K. Muradian, Jr. for legislation to establish a wildland acquisition account from monies
20	20	received from the sale of wildland conservation stamps. Environment and Natural Resources.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 866 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to critical wildlife habitat management.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 Section 2A of Chapter 131 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
32	32	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the section in its entirety and inserting in place
33	33	3thereof the following:-
34	34	4 Section 2A. There is hereby established within the Inland Fisheries and Game Fund, a
35	35	5wildland acquisition account which shall be credited monies received from the sale of wildland
36	36	6conservation stamps, the portion of the fees for sporting, fishing, trapping and hunting licenses to
37	37	7be credited under the provisions of section 2C, contributions thereto and any grant monies from
38	38	8the federal government or other public and private sources. 2 of 3
39	39	9 Said account, subject to appropriation, shall be used only for the purchase of land
40	40	10containing wildlife habitat and for costs directly related to the administration of the wildlands
41	41	11stamp program.
42	42	12 Two dollars and fifty cents from the sale of wildlands conservation stamp shall be
43	43	13dedicated to habitat management on lands managed by the division of fisheries and wildlife.
44	44	14 The director may contract with the seller of wildlands for installment payments provided
45	45	15that the total of all such installment payments does not exceed seventy-five percent of the
46	46	16previous year's income to the wildlands acquisition account. Acquisition of all lands so
47	47	17purchased shall be made with the advice and consent of the fisheries and wildlife board. All such
48	48	18lands shall be acquired exclusively for protection and management of wildlife habitat and shall
49	49	19be available for fishing, trapping, and hunting.
50	50	20 SECTION 2. Section 13A of Chapter 131 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as
51	51	21appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the section in its entirety
52	52	22and inserting in place thereof the following:-
53	53	23 Section 13A. Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall fish, trap, or hunt in the
54	54	24commonwealth, or utilize any lands managed by the division of fisheries and wildlife without
55	55	25first having obtained a wildlands conservation stamp, which shall be issued by the director or his
56	56	26duly authorized agent upon the payment of seven dollars and fifty cents; provided, however, that
57	57	27persons who are exempted from licensing requirements need not purchase such a stamp;
58	58	28provided, further, that persons issued fishing, sporting, trapping, or hunting licenses without
59	59	29charge shall be issued said stamp without charge; and provided, further, that no person who has
60	60	30purchased a stamp with any current resident license to fish, trap, or hunt shall be required to pay 3 of 3
61	61	31the fee for a wildlands conservation stamp for any additional current license or any duplicate
62	62	32license. The director is hereby authorized to issue stamps in such form as he may prescribe and
63	63	33may issue rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this section. The stamp may
64	64	34be imprinted directly on fishing, sporting, trapping, or hunting licenses or issued separately at the
65	65	35discretion of the director.