EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1511*
HOUSE BILL 1511
M1 5lr3537
CF SB 736
By: Delegates Ruth, Allen, Nawrocki, Otto, and Ziegler
Introduced and read first time: February 17, 2025
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Natural Resources – Wildlife Damage Prevention and Reimbursement Fund – 2
Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Wildlife Damage Prevention and Reimbursement 4
Fund to reimburse a person for certain damage caused by deer, geese, and other 5
wildlife; and generally relating to damage caused by deer, geese, and other wildlife. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – Natural Resources 8
Section 10–423.2 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Natural Resources 14
10–423.2. 15
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “FUND” MEANS THE WILDLIFE DAMAGE PREVENTION 16
AND REIMBURSEMENT FUND. 17
(B) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS THAT I T IS IN THE PUBLIC I NTEREST 18
TO PROVIDE FUNDING T O REIMBURSE A PERSON WHO HAS SUSTAINED DA MAGE TO 19
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT S AS A RESULT OF DEE R, GEESE, AND OTHER WILDLIFE . 20
(C) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO DAMAGE CAUS ED BY A 21
DOMESTICATED ANIMAL OR A BLACK BEAR . 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1511
(D) (1) THERE IS A WILDLIFE DAMAGE PREVENTION AND 1
REIMBURSEMENT FUND IN THE DEPARTMENT . 2
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO REIMBURSE A PERSON FOR 3
DAMAGE CAUSED BY DEE R, GEESE, AND OTHER WILDLIFE TO CROPS AN D OTHER 4
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT S. 5
(3) THE SECRETARY SHALL ADMIN ISTER THE FUND. 6
(4) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 7
(I) PROCEEDS FROM THE SAL E OF A CONSERVATION DEER 8
STAMP OR DECAL THAT MAY BE PURCHASED AT A COST OF $5 FOR EACH STAMP OR 9
DECAL; 10
(II) GIFTS, GRANTS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE THAT 11
ARE DESIGNATED FOR I NCLUSION IN THE FUND; AND 12
(III) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE 13
FUND. 14
(5) THE FUND IS A CONTINUING , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 15
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 16
(6) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 17
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 18
(E) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ACCE PT REQUESTS FOR GRAN TS FROM 19
THE FUND FOR PROJECTS THA T SEEK TO PREVEN T DAMAGE CAUSED BY D EER, 20
GEESE, OR OTHER WILDLIFE . 21
(2) IN DETERMINING PROJEC TS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS , 22
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONS IDER PROJECTS THAT : 23
(I) REDUCE THE AVAILABILI TY OF ATTRACTANTS TO DEER, 24
GEESE, OR OTHER WILDLIFE IN COMMUNITIES , INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL 25
COMMUNITIES ; 26
(II) HAVE LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT OR A DETAILE D PLAN 27
TO BUILD LOCAL COMMU NITY SUPPORT; 28
HOUSE BILL 1511 3
(III) ARE COST–EFFECTIVE INVESTMENT S THAT HAVE THE 1
POTENTIAL TO CONTINU E TO BE EFFECTIVE BE YOND THE TIME FRAME FOR THE 2
GRANT FUNDING; OR 3
(IV) INCLUDE MATCHING FUND S OR AN IN–KIND MATCH. 4
(3) THE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT AW ARD A GRANT FOR : 5
(I) STAND–ALONE RESEARCH , DATA COLLECTION , AND 6
ANALYSIS; OR 7
(II) THE DIRECT GENERATION OF REVENUE OR PROFIT . 8
(4) ENTITIES ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT UNDER TH IS SUBSECTION 9
INCLUDE: 10
(I) LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ; 11
(II) PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS ; 12
(III) LANDOWNERS ; 13
(IV) FARMERS; 14
(V) BUSINESSES; 15
(VI) TRIBES; 16
(VII) INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHE R EDUCATION; AND 17
(VIII) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS . 18
(5) GRANT FUNDING UNDER T HIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE CAPPED AT 19
AN AMOUNT THAT LEAVE S AT LEAST 10% OF THE TOTAL ANNUAL APPROPRIATION 20
UNDER SUBSECTION (H) OF THIS SECTION AVAI LABLE FOR DAMAGE 21
REIMBURSEMENT UNDER SUBSECTION (F) OF THIS SECTION. 22
(F) (1) THE DEPARTMENT MAY REIMBU RSE A PERSON FROM TH E FUND 23
FOR DAMAGE CAUSED BY DEER, GEESE, AND OTHER WILDLIFE T O THE PERSON ’S 24
CROPS OR AGRICULTURA L PRODUCTS. 25
(2) A PERSON IS ELIGIBLE T O BE REIMBURSED FROM THE FUND FOR 26
DAMAGE CAUSED BY DEE R, GEESE, OR OTHER WILDLIFE IF : 27 4 HOUSE BILL 1511
(I) THE PERSON HAS FOLLOW ED ALL RELEVANT WILD LIFE 1
DAMAGE PREVENTIVE ME ASURES RECOMMENDED B Y THE DEPARTMENT ; 2
(II) THE DAMAGE AMOUNT IS DETERMINED BY AN EXT ENSION 3
AGENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE; 4
AND 5
(III) THE DEPARTMENT HAS VERIFI ED THAT THE DAMAGE W AS 6
CAUSED BY DEER , GEESE, OR OTHER WILDLIFE . 7
(3) SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE FUNDING, A PERSON MAY BE 8
REIMBURSED FROM THE FUND FOR DAMAGE CAUSE D BY DEER, GEESE, OR OTHER 9
WILDLIFE IN AN AMOUN T NOT LESS THAN $200 AND NOT MORE THAN $5,000 PER 10
YEAR. 11
(G) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 12
SECTION. 13
(H) FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR , THE GOVERNOR MAY INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL 14
BUDGET BILL AN APPRO PRIATION OF AT LEAST $50,000 TO THE FUND. 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16
October 1, 2025. 17