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