| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. |
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| 4 | 4 | | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. |
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| 5 | 5 | | *sb0272* |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | SENATE BILL 272 |
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| 8 | 8 | | M2 5lr1871 |
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| 9 | 9 | | |
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| 10 | 10 | | By: Senator Jackson |
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| 11 | 11 | | Introduced and read first time: January 9, 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A BILL ENTITLED |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT concerning 1 |
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| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | Prince George’s County – Natural Resources – Sunday Deer Hunting and 2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Archery Hunting Safety Zones 3 |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | FOR the purpose of authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to allow a person to 4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer bow hunting season in Prince George’s County; 5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | adding Prince George’s County to the list of counties in which the safety zone for 6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | archery hunters extends a certain distance from certain structures; and generally 7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | relating to hunting in Prince George’s County. 8 |
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| 26 | 26 | | |
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| 27 | 27 | | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Article – Natural Resources 10 |
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| 29 | 29 | | Section 10–410(a) and (g)(3)(i) and 10–906(b)(3)(i) 11 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 12 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13 |
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| 32 | 32 | | |
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| 33 | 33 | | BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14 |
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| 34 | 34 | | Article – Natural Resources 15 |
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| 35 | 35 | | Section 10–410(g)(1) 16 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 17 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18 |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19 |
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| 40 | 40 | | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | Article – Natural Resources 21 |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | 10–410. 22 |
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| 45 | 45 | | |
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| 46 | 46 | | (a) (1) (i) The Department may allow a person to hunt on each Sunday of 23 |
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| 47 | 47 | | the game bird and game mammal seasons in: 24 |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2 SENATE BILL 272 |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | 1. Allegany County; 1 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Calvert 2 |
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| 54 | 54 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 3 |
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| 55 | 55 | | |
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| 56 | 56 | | 3. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Caroline 4 |
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| 57 | 57 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 5 |
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| 58 | 58 | | |
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| 59 | 59 | | 4. Cecil County; 6 |
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| 60 | 60 | | |
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| 61 | 61 | | 5. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Charles 7 |
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| 62 | 62 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 8 |
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| 63 | 63 | | |
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| 64 | 64 | | 6. Subject to subparagraph (iv) of this paragraph, Dorchester 9 |
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| 65 | 65 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 10 |
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| 66 | 66 | | |
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| 67 | 67 | | 7. Garrett County; 11 |
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| 68 | 68 | | |
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| 69 | 69 | | 8. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Queen 12 |
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| 70 | 70 | | Anne’s County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 13 |
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| 71 | 71 | | |
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| 72 | 72 | | 9. St. Mary’s County; 14 |
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| 73 | 73 | | |
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| 74 | 74 | | 10. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 15 |
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| 75 | 75 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; 16 |
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| 76 | 76 | | |
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| 77 | 77 | | 11. Washington County; 17 |
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| 78 | 78 | | |
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| 79 | 79 | | 12. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Worcester 18 |
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| 80 | 80 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; and 19 |
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| 81 | 81 | | |
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| 82 | 82 | | 13. Subject to subparagraph (v) of this paragraph, Wicomico 20 |
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| 83 | 83 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 21 |
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| 84 | 84 | | |
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| 85 | 85 | | (ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 and 12 of this 22 |
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| 86 | 86 | | paragraph do not apply: 23 |
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| 87 | 87 | | |
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| 88 | 88 | | 1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 24 |
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| 89 | 89 | | |
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| 90 | 90 | | 2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 25 |
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| 91 | 91 | | Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 26 |
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| 92 | 92 | | |
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| 93 | 93 | | (iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)2, 3, 5, and 8 of this 27 |
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| 94 | 94 | | paragraph do not apply: 28 |
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| 95 | 95 | | |
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| 96 | 96 | | 1. On each Sunday during the deer firearms season; 29 |
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| 97 | 97 | | SENATE BILL 272 3 |
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| 98 | 98 | | |
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| 99 | 99 | | |
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| 100 | 100 | | 2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 1 |
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| 101 | 101 | | Sundays in November during the deer bow hunting season; and 2 |
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| 102 | 102 | | |
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| 103 | 103 | | 3. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 3 |
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| 104 | 104 | | |
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| 105 | 105 | | (iv) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)6 of this paragraph 4 |
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| 106 | 106 | | do not apply: 5 |
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| 107 | 107 | | |
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| 108 | 108 | | 1. On each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from the first 6 |
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| 109 | 109 | | Sunday in October through the second Sunday in January, inclusive; and 7 |
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| 110 | 110 | | |
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| 111 | 111 | | 2. On each Sunday of the spring turkey hunting season. 8 |
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| 112 | 112 | | |
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| 113 | 113 | | (v) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)(13) of this 9 |
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| 114 | 114 | | paragraph do not apply: 10 |
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| 115 | 115 | | |
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| 116 | 116 | | 1. On the first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 11 |
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| 117 | 117 | | |
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| 118 | 118 | | 2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 12 |
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| 119 | 119 | | Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 13 |
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| 120 | 120 | | |
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| 121 | 121 | | (2) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the 14 |
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| 122 | 122 | | deer hunting seasons from the first Sunday in October through the second Sunday in 15 |
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| 123 | 123 | | January, inclusive, in: 16 |
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| 124 | 124 | | |
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| 125 | 125 | | (i) Carroll County; and 17 |
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| 126 | 126 | | |
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| 127 | 127 | | (ii) Frederick County. 18 |
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| 128 | 128 | | |
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| 129 | 129 | | (3) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the Department 19 |
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| 130 | 130 | | may allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer hunting seasons from 30 20 |
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| 131 | 131 | | minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. in: 21 |
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| 132 | 132 | | |
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| 133 | 133 | | 1. Kent County; 22 |
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| 134 | 134 | | |
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| 135 | 135 | | 2. Montgomery County; and 23 |
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| 136 | 136 | | |
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| 137 | 137 | | 3. Talbot County. 24 |
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| 138 | 138 | | |
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| 139 | 139 | | (ii) The time restrictions under this paragraph do not apply: 25 |
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| 140 | 140 | | |
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| 141 | 141 | | 1. To a participant in a junior deer hunt authorized under 26 |
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| 142 | 142 | | this subtitle; 27 |
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| 143 | 143 | | |
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| 144 | 144 | | 2. On one Sunday designated by the Department during the 28 |
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| 145 | 145 | | deer firearms season; 29 |
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| 146 | 146 | | 4 SENATE BILL 272 |
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| 147 | 147 | | |
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| 148 | 148 | | |
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| 149 | 149 | | 3. In Kent County, on each Sunday during the deer bow 1 |
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| 150 | 150 | | hunting season and the deer muzzle loader season; 2 |
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| 151 | 151 | | |
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| 152 | 152 | | 4. In Montgomery County, on one Sunday designated by the 3 |
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| 153 | 153 | | Department during the deer bow hunting season; and 4 |
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| 154 | 154 | | |
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| 155 | 155 | | 5. In Talbot County, on the last three Sundays in October 5 |
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| 156 | 156 | | and the first two Sundays in November during the bow hunting season. 6 |
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| 157 | 157 | | |
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| 158 | 158 | | (4) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer 7 |
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| 159 | 159 | | firearms season: 8 |
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| 160 | 160 | | |
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| 161 | 161 | | (i) On each Sunday in Harford County; and 9 |
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| 162 | 162 | | |
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| 163 | 163 | | (ii) On the first Sunday in Anne Arundel County. 10 |
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| 164 | 164 | | |
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| 165 | 165 | | (5) The Department may allow a person to hunt deer during the deer bow 11 |
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| 166 | 166 | | hunting season on: 12 |
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| 167 | 167 | | |
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| 168 | 168 | | (i) The last three Sundays in October and the first two Sundays in 13 |
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| 169 | 169 | | November in Harford County; and 14 |
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| 170 | 170 | | |
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| 171 | 171 | | (ii) The first Sunday in November in Anne Arundel County. 15 |
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| 172 | 172 | | |
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| 173 | 173 | | (6) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ALLOW A PERSON TO HUNT DEE R ON 16 |
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| 174 | 174 | | EACH SUNDAY OF THE DEER BO W HUNTING SEASON IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY. 17 |
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| 175 | 175 | | |
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| 176 | 176 | | (7) The Department may allow a person to hunt turkey on each Sunday of 18 |
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| 177 | 177 | | the spring turkey hunting season in: 19 |
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| 178 | 178 | | |
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| 179 | 179 | | (i) Carroll County; 20 |
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| 180 | 180 | | |
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| 181 | 181 | | (ii) Kent County; and 21 |
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| 182 | 182 | | |
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| 183 | 183 | | (iii) Talbot County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 22 |
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| 184 | 184 | | |
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| 185 | 185 | | [(7)] (8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the 23 |
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| 186 | 186 | | Department may allow a person with a deer management permit to shoot deer on any 24 |
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| 187 | 187 | | Sunday throughout the year in accordance with the terms of the permit. 25 |
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| 188 | 188 | | |
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| 189 | 189 | | [(8)] (9) The Department may allow a person using a State certified 26 |
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| 190 | 190 | | raptor to hunt game birds or mammals on each Sunday during the open season for the 27 |
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| 191 | 191 | | game birds or mammals. 28 |
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| 192 | 192 | | |
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| 193 | 193 | | [(9)] (10) The Department may allow an unarmed person participating in 29 |
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| 194 | 194 | | an organized fox chase to chase foxes on Sunday. 30 SENATE BILL 272 5 |
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| 195 | 195 | | |
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| 196 | 196 | | |
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| 197 | 197 | | |
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| 198 | 198 | | [(10)] (11) The Department may allow a person shooting pen–reared game 1 |
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| 199 | 199 | | birds or tower–released flighted mallard ducks to hunt on Sunday at a regulated shooting 2 |
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| 200 | 200 | | ground in accordance with § 10–906 of this title. 3 |
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| 201 | 201 | | |
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| 202 | 202 | | [(11)] (12) The Department may allow a person who is 16 years old or 4 |
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| 203 | 203 | | younger to hunt on Sunday if participating in a junior hunt established by the Department 5 |
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| 204 | 204 | | in accordance with this subtitle. 6 |
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| 205 | 205 | | |
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| 206 | 206 | | [(12)] (13) Except as provided in paragraphs [(8)] (9) through [(10)] (11) of 7 |
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| 207 | 207 | | this subsection and subject to paragraph [(7)] (8) of this subsection, a person may not hunt 8 |
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| 208 | 208 | | on Sunday in: 9 |
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| 209 | 209 | | |
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| 210 | 210 | | (i) Baltimore City; 10 |
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| 211 | 211 | | |
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| 212 | 212 | | (ii) Baltimore County; OR 11 |
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| 213 | 213 | | |
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| 214 | 214 | | (iii) Howard County[; or 12 |
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| 215 | 215 | | |
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| 216 | 216 | | (iv) Prince George’s County]. 13 |
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| 217 | 217 | | |
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| 218 | 218 | | [(13)] (14) A person may not hunt migratory game birds on Sunday. 14 |
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| 219 | 219 | | |
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| 220 | 220 | | [(14)] (15) A person may not hunt on public land within the State park 15 |
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| 221 | 221 | | system on Sunday. 16 |
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| 222 | 222 | | |
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| 223 | 223 | | [(15)] (16) (i) The Department may not allow a person to hunt on public 17 |
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| 224 | 224 | | land designated for hunting by the Department on Sunday except in: 18 |
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| 225 | 225 | | |
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| 226 | 226 | | 1. Allegany County; 19 |
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| 227 | 227 | | |
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| 228 | 228 | | 2. Cecil County; 20 |
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| 229 | 229 | | |
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| 230 | 230 | | 3. Garrett County; 21 |
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| 231 | 231 | | |
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| 232 | 232 | | 4. St. Mary’s County; 22 |
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| 233 | 233 | | |
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| 234 | 234 | | 5. Washington County; 23 |
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| 235 | 235 | | |
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| 236 | 236 | | 6. Dorchester County, for turkey during the spring turkey 24 |
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| 237 | 237 | | hunting season; 25 |
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| 238 | 238 | | |
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| 239 | 239 | | 7. Frederick County, for deer from the first Sunday in 26 |
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| 240 | 240 | | October through the second Sunday in January of the following year, inclusive; 27 |
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| 241 | 241 | | 6 SENATE BILL 272 |
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| 242 | 242 | | |
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| 243 | 243 | | |
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| 244 | 244 | | 8. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Somerset 1 |
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| 245 | 245 | | County, on public land leased to a hunt club from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 2 |
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| 246 | 246 | | a.m.; 3 |
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| 247 | 247 | | |
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| 248 | 248 | | 9. Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, Worcester 4 |
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| 249 | 249 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m.; and 5 |
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| 250 | 250 | | |
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| 251 | 251 | | 10. Subject to subparagraph (iii) of this paragraph, Wicomico 6 |
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| 252 | 252 | | County, from 30 minutes before sunrise until 10:30 a.m. 7 |
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| 253 | 253 | | |
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| 254 | 254 | | (ii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)8 and 9 of this 8 |
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| 255 | 255 | | paragraph do not apply: 9 |
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| 256 | 256 | | |
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| 257 | 257 | | 1. On each Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 10 |
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| 258 | 258 | | |
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| 259 | 259 | | 2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 11 |
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| 260 | 260 | | Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 12 |
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| 261 | 261 | | |
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| 262 | 262 | | (iii) The time restrictions under subparagraph (i)10 of this paragraph 13 |
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| 263 | 263 | | do not apply: 14 |
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| 264 | 264 | | |
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| 265 | 265 | | 1. On the first Sunday of the deer firearms season; and 15 |
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| 266 | 266 | | |
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| 267 | 267 | | 2. On the last three Sundays in October and the first two 16 |
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| 268 | 268 | | Sundays in November of the deer bow hunting season. 17 |
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| 269 | 269 | | |
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| 270 | 270 | | (g) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a 18 |
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| 271 | 271 | | person, other than the owner or occupant, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal may 19 |
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| 272 | 272 | | not shoot or discharge any firearm or other deadly weapon within 150 yards, known as the 20 |
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| 273 | 273 | | “safety zone”, of a dwelling house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by 21 |
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| 274 | 274 | | human beings, or shoot at any wild bird or mammal while it is within this area, without 22 |
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| 275 | 275 | | the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant. 23 |
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| 276 | 276 | | |
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| 277 | 277 | | (3) (i) For archery hunters in Allegany County, Calvert County, Carroll 24 |
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| 278 | 278 | | County, Cecil County, Frederick County, Garrett County, Harford County, Montgomery 25 |
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| 279 | 279 | | County, PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, St. Mary’s County, Washington County, Worcester 26 |
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| 280 | 280 | | County, or Wicomico County, the safety zone described in paragraph (1) of this subsection 27 |
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| 281 | 281 | | extends for 50 yards from a dwelling house, residence, church, or any other building or 28 |
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| 282 | 282 | | camp occupied by human beings. 29 |
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| 283 | 283 | | |
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| 284 | 284 | | 10–906. 30 |
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| 285 | 285 | | |
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| 286 | 286 | | (b) (3) (i) As part of the application for a regulated shooting ground permit, 31 |
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| 287 | 287 | | a person may apply to the Department for authorization to allow hunting on Sunday as 32 |
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| 288 | 288 | | provided under [§ 10–410(a)(10)] § 10–410(A)(11) of this title. 33 |
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| 289 | 289 | | SENATE BILL 272 7 |
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| 290 | 290 | | |
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| 291 | 291 | | |
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| 292 | 292 | | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1 |
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| 293 | 293 | | 1, 2025. 2 |
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