Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2061 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. 3514 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2061
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Jonathan D. Zlotnik
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 updating hunter harassment laws.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Jonathan D. Zlotnik2nd Worcester1/17/2025Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin2/10/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3514 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2061
18	18	By Representative Zlotnik of Gardner, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2061) of
19	19	Jonathan D. Zlotnik and Susannah M. Whipps for legislation to further regulate fines for the
20	20	obstruction or interference with lawful taking of fish or wildlife. The Judiciary.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act updating hunter harassment laws.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 131 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2016 Official
30	30	2Edition, is hereby amended by striking out Section 5C and inserting in place thereof the
31	31	3following section:-
32	32	4 “Section 5C. The citizens of the Commonwealth shall have the right to harvest fish and
33	33	5wildlife free from harassment subject to rules and regulations established to maintain sustainable
34	34	6and healthy populations of such natural resources.
35	35	7 (a) No person shall obstruct, interfere with or otherwise prevent the lawful harvest of fish
36	36	8and wildlife by another at any such place in the commonwealth where it is lawful to do so. It
37	37	9shall be a violation of this section for a person to intentionally:
38	38	10 (1) drive or disturb fish or wildlife for the purpose of interrupting a lawful taking; or 2 of 3
39	39	11 (2) block, follow, impede or otherwise harass another who is engaged in the lawful taking
40	40	12of fish or wildlife; or
41	41	13 (3) use natural or artificial visual, aural, olfactory or physical stimulus to effect wildlife in
42	42	14order to hinder or prevent such taking; or
43	43	15 (4) erect barriers with the intent to deny ingress or egress to areas where the lawful taking
44	44	16of wildlife may occur; or
45	45	17 (5) interject himself into the line of fire; or
46	46	18 (6) effect the condition or placement of personal or public property intended for use in
47	47	19the taking of wildlife; or
48	48	20 (7) enter or remain upon public lands, or upon private lands without the permission of the
49	49	21owner or his agent, with intent to violate this section; or
50	50	22 (8) verbally or physically harass, threaten or other means of intimidation of an
51	51	23individual/s lawfully engaged in the harvest fish and wildlife;
52	52	24 (9) utilize mechanical aerial devices to drive wildlife, harass, film, photograph or
53	53	25otherwise intimidate.
54	54	26 A violation of this paragraph shall be punished by imprisonment in a jail or house of
55	55	27correction for not more than 1 year or by a fine of not more than $1,000 or both.
56	56	28 (b) Any person having caused destruction or otherwise vandalizes equipment utilized,
57	57	29directly or indirectly, for the lawful harvest of fish and wildlife including, but not limited to,
58	58	30vehicles, blinds, stands, trail cams, fishing gear, boats, etc. shall be punished by imprisonment in 3 of 3
59	59	31a jail or house of correction for not more than 2 years or by a fine of not more than $5,000 or
60	60	32both.
61	61	33 (c) Any person having caused bodily injuries of another that were sustained from any
62	62	34type of harassment or vandalism covered under this section shall be punished by imprisonment in
63	63	35a jail or house of correction for not more than 5 years or by a fine of not more than $10,000 or
64	64	36both.
65	65	37 The superior court shall have jurisdiction to issue an injunction to enjoin any such
66	66	38conduct or conspiracy in violation of the provisions of this section. A person who sustains
67	67	39damage as a result of any act which is in violation of this section may bring a civil action for
68	68	40punitive damages in addition to the penalties established herein. Environmental protection
69	69	41officers and other law enforcement officers with arrest powers shall be authorized to enforce the
70	70	42provisions of this section.
71	71	43 (d) Unless authorized by the property owner it shall be unlawful to post land closed, or
72	72	44restricted, to the lawful harvest of fish and wildlife. Any person convicted of illegally posting
73	73	45land shall be punished by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 1 year
74	74	46or a fine of not more $1,000 or both.
75	75	47 Any fines collected under this section shall be deposited into the Inland Fisheries and
76	76	48Game Fund established under Section 2C of Chapter 131, and may be utilized for the purposes of
77	77	49the Hunter Education Program.