Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB922 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
	3	+	SB922 HFLR Page 1
	4	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	5	+	2
	6	+	3
	7	+	4
	8	+	5
	9	+	6
	10	+	7
	11	+	8
	12	+	9
	13	+	10
	14	+	11
	15	+	12
	16	+	13
	17	+	14
	18	+	15
	19	+	16
	20	+	17
	21	+	18
	22	+	19
	23	+	20
	24	+	21
	25	+	22
	26	+	23
	27	+	24
3	28
4		-	An Act
5		-	ENROLLED SENATE
	29	+	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
	30	+
	31	+	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
	32	+
	33	+	1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
	34	+
	35	+	ENGROSSED SENATE
6	36		BILL NO. 922 By: Stephens of the Senate
7	37
8	38		and
9	39
10	40		Cornwell of the House
11	41
12	42
13	43
14	44
15	45		An Act to conditions of fish and wildlife; amending
16	46		29 O.S. 2021, Section 5-401, which relates to the
17	47		Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission ; requiring
18	48		a certain number of tags to be issued to Oklahoma
19	49		residents; updating statutory language; and providing
20	50		an effective date.
21	51
22	52
23	53
24	54
25		-	SUBJECT: Fish and wildlife
26		-
27	55		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
28		-
29	56		SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 29 O.S. 2021, Section 5-401, is
30	57		amended to read as follows:
31		-
32	58		Section 5-401. A. The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation
33	59		Commission is authorized to declare an open season on wildlife in
34	60		any counties or parts of c ounties of this state where, in the
35	61		judgment of the Commission, such wildlife exists in sufficient
36	62		quantity to warrant such open season, and such open season sha ll be
37	63		declared by Commission resolution not less than ten (10) days befor e
38	64		the season is opened .
39	65
	66	+	SB922 HFLR Page 2
	67	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	68	+	2
	69	+	3
	70	+	4
	71	+	5
	72	+	6
	73	+	7
	74	+	8
	75	+	9
	76	+	10
	77	+	11
	78	+	12
	79	+	13
	80	+	14
	81	+	15
	82	+	16
	83	+	17
	84	+	18
	85	+	19
	86	+	20
	87	+	21
	88	+	22
	89	+	23
	90	+	24
	91	+
40	92		B. The Commission may designate any two (2) cons ecutive days
41	93		after the open season declared for hunting deer to be senior
42	94		citizen’s hunting days. During thos e two (2) days only legal
43	95		residents of Oklahoma this state who are sixty-four (64) years of
44	96		age or older may hunt deer provided the person has a valid license
45	97		as otherwise provided by law.
46		-
47		-
48		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 922 Page 2
49	98		C. The Commission is further authorized to declare an open
50	99		season on mountain lions and black bears.
51		-
52	100		D. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, the
53	101		Commission is further authorized to prescribe rules nece ssary to the
54	102		proper conduct and policing of such open season, the amount and kind
55	103		of wildlife that may be taken, and the dates and time limits of such
56	104		season.
57		-
58	105		E. Any bowfishing season set for nongame fish by th e Commission
59	106		for the Upper Illinois River sha ll include the following:
60		-
61	107		1. Upstream from the Horseshoe Bend boat ramp to where State
62	108		Highway 51 crosses the Illin ois River, bowfishing is permitted from
63	109		June 1 to March 31; an d
64		-
65	110		2. Upstream from where State Hi ghway 51 crosses the Illinois
66	111		River, bowfishing is permitted from December 1 through March 31.
67		-
68	112		F. The Commission is further authorized to require any person
69	113		participating in such open season or hunting in open areas durin g
70	114		open season to procure, under ru les prescribed by the Commission, a
71	115		special permit or license to participate in such season or hunt in
	116	+
	117	+	SB922 HFLR Page 3
	118	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	119	+	2
	120	+	3
	121	+	4
	122	+	5
	123	+	6
	124	+	7
	125	+	8
	126	+	9
	127	+	10
	128	+	11
	129	+	12
	130	+	13
	131	+	14
	132	+	15
	133	+	16
	134	+	17
	135	+	18
	136	+	19
	137	+	20
	138	+	21
	139	+	22
	140	+	23
	141	+	24
	142	+
72	143		such areas during open season and to charge residents not t o exceed
73	144		Twenty Dollars ($20.00), nonresidents not to exceed Seventy-five
74	145		Dollars ($75.00) and further providing that Five Dollars ($5.00) of
75	146		this fee shall be set aside for compensation to Oklahoma surface
76	147		holders participating in the Acres for Wildlife P rogram at a rate to
77	148		be determined by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission. No
78	149		exemptions shall be permitted.
79		-
80	150		G. Open seasons, closed seasons, bag limits, catch limits,
81	151		possession limits and territorial limitations set forth in the
82	152		statutes of this state, pertaining to wildlife of every sort, are
83	153		hereby declared to be based on the existen ce of a normal population
84	154		of such species of wildlife, compatible with and not damaging to the
85	155		proper agricultural use of the lands of the state.
86		-
87	156		H. Such seasons, catch l imits, bag limits, possession limits
88	157		and territorial limitations as set by statute sh all prevail and be
89	158		in full force and effect for each and every species of wildlife to
90	159		which they pertain so long as the population or numbers of such
91		-
92		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 922 Page 3
93	160		wildlife species rema in normal or are not damaging or endangering
94	161		crops or proper agricultural use of the lands of the state.
95		-
96	162		I. For seasons governed by a mechanism employed by the
97	163		Commission to limit the number of tags issued for specific game in
98	164		this state, at least ninety percent (90%) of the total number of
99	165		issued tags shall go to residents of this state each year.
	166	+
	167	+	SB922 HFLR Page 4
	168	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	169	+	2
	170	+	3
	171	+	4
	172	+	5
	173	+	6
	174	+	7
	175	+	8
	176	+	9
	177	+	10
	178	+	11
	179	+	12
	180	+	13
	181	+	14
	182	+	15
	183	+	16
	184	+	17
	185	+	18
	186	+	19
	187	+	20
	188	+	21
	189	+	22
	190	+	23
	191	+	24
100	192
101	193		J. The Commission in session, and after having given ten (10)
102	194		days’ public notice of such meeting being called and the purpose of
103	195		such meeting, the sp ecies of wildlife to be consi dered and the
104	196		reasons therefor, shall have the right to determine if there does or
105	197		does not exist a normal population of the wildlife species under
106	198		consideration, which does or does not endanger the crops of the
107	199		state or of any certain areas, or the agricu ltural use of the lands
108	200		therein. In the event the consideration is other than statewide,
109	201		the Commission shall meet at the most convenient place to the people
110	202		of the area in the area being considered. All meetings shall be
111	203		open to the public and proper re cords of those appearing and
112	204		testifying shall be made. If the Commission, after hearing and
113	205		after investigation, finds that the populations of the wildlife
114	206		species under hearing are not normal or that they are not compatible
115	207		to the agricultural use of the lands or are damaging or endan gering
116	208		the farm crops of the area, they sha ll, by administrative order,
117	209		make the necessary changes by either extending, shortening, opening
118	210		or closing such seasons, and change such bag limits, cat ch limits
119	211		and possession limits, and regulate methods or dev ices for taking,
120	212		killing or capturing of th e wildlife species affected in any area or
121	213		areas covered by the notice of meeting and hearing, except as
122	214		otherwise set by the Legislature.
123		-
124	215		J. K. Such administrative order shall take effect after
125	216		publication in at least one newspaper of general state circu lation,
	217	+
	218	+	SB922 HFLR Page 5
	219	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	220	+	2
	221	+	3
	222	+	4
	223	+	5
	224	+	6
	225	+	7
	226	+	8
	227	+	9
	228	+	10
	229	+	11
	230	+	12
	231	+	13
	232	+	14
	233	+	15
	234	+	16
	235	+	17
	236	+	18
	237	+	19
	238	+	20
	239	+	21
	240	+	22
	241	+	23
	242	+	24
	243	+
126	244		or in a newspaper having circulation in the territory affected. A
127	245		copy of all such orders shall, before publication, be filed with the
128	246		Secretary of State, and such order sha ll not be construed as
129	247		authorizing the Commission to change any penalty fo r violating any
130	248		game law or regulation or change the amount of any license
131	249		established by the Legislature.
132		-
133	250		SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
134	251
135		-
136		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 922 Page 4
137		-	Passed the Senate the 8th day of March, 2023.
138		-
139		-
140		-
141		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
142		-
143		-
144		-	Passed the House of Representatives the 27th day of April, 2023.
145		-
146		-
147		-
148		-	Presiding Officer of the House
149		-	of Representatives
150		-
151		-	OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
152		-	Received by the Office of the Governor this _______ _____________
153		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
154		-	By: _______________________________ __
155		-	Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _____ ____
156		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
157		-
158		-	_________________________________
159		-	Governor of the State of Oklahoma
160		-
161		-
162		-	OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
163		-	Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this _______ ___
164		-	day of __________________, 20 _______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
165		-	By: _______________________________ __
	252	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMIT TEE ON WILDLIFE, dated 04/13/2023 - DO
	253	+	PASS.