| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to game and fish; allowing accumulation of bear hunter preference points |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 for youth; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 97B.405. |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 97B.405, is amended to read: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 97B.405 COMMISSIONER MAY LIMIT NUMBER OF BEAR HUNTERS. |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 (a) The commissioner may limit the number of persons that may hunt bear in an area, |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8if it is necessary to prevent an overharvest or improve the distribution of hunters. The |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9commissioner may establish, by rule, a method, including a drawing, to impartially select |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10the hunters for an area. The commissioner shall give preference to hunters that have |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11previously applied and have not been selected. Additionally, the commissioner may award |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12points toward a preference under this section to a person who is too young to be a bear |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13hunter, so that by the time the person is old enough to be a bear hunter the person has |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14accumulated a number of preference points. |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15 (b) If the commissioner limits the number of persons that may hunt bear in an area under |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16paragraph (a), the commissioner must reserve one permit and give first preference for that |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17permit to a resident of a Minnesota veterans home. |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 (c) A person selected through a drawing must purchase a license by August 1. Any |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19remaining available licenses not purchased shall be issued to any eligible person as prescribed |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20by the commissioner on a first-come, first-served basis beginning three business days after |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21August 1. |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | REVISOR CKM/DG 25-0227101/15/25 |
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| 24 | 24 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 25 | 25 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 26 | 26 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 27 | 27 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 28 | 28 | | H. F. No. 818 |
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| 29 | 29 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 30 | 30 | | Authored by Wiener02/17/2025 |
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| 31 | 31 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy |
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