Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1770 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	Req. No. 10657 Page 1 1
4	4	2
5	5	3
6	6	4
7	7	5
8	8	6
9	9	7
10	10	8
11	11	9
12	12	10
13	13	11
14	14	12
15	15	13
16	16	14
17	17	15
18	18	16
19	19	17
20	20	18
21	21	19
22	22	20
23	23	21
24	24	22
25	25	23
26	26	24
27	27
28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
29	29
30	30	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
31	31
32	32	HOUSE BILL 1770 By: Moore
33	33
34	34
35	35
36	36
37	37
38	38	AS INTRODUCED
39	39
40	40	An Act relating to animals; enacting the Elk
41	41	Population Study and Management Act; providing
42	42	definitions; providing certain organizations t o
43	43	establish a plan and outline for a comprehensive
44	44	study of the elk population within a certain region
45	45	of the state; requiring the plan and outline to be
46	46	completed on a certain date; providing requirements
47	47	for the comprehensive study; providing for
48	48	coordination with other relevant state and federal
49	49	agencies; requiring the maintainin g of detailed
50	50	accounting and financial records of appropriations
51	51	received and expenditures made; providing that
52	52	external experts and scientists may be retained to
53	53	complete the study; providing for codification;
54	54	providing an effective date; and declaring an
55	55	emergency.
56	56
57	57
58	58
59	59
60	60	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
61	61	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
62	62	in the Oklahoma Statut es as Section 4101 of Title 2, unless there is
63	63	created a duplication in number ing, reads as follows:
64	64	A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Elk
65	65	Population Study and Management Act ".
66	66	B. As used in this act:
67	67
68	68	Req. No. 10657 Page 2 1
69	69	2
70	70	3
71	71	4
72	72	5
73	73	6
74	74	7
75	75	8
76	76	9
77	77	10
78	78	11
79	79	12
80	80	13
81	81	14
82	82	15
83	83	16
84	84	17
85	85	18
86	86	19
87	87	20
88	88	21
89	89	22
90	90	23
91	91	24
92	92
93	93	1. "Study zone" refers to the Special Northwest Zone that
94	94	encompasses all private lands in Woodward, Dewey , and Ellis
95	95	Counties, and a portion of Roger Mills County north of State
96	96	Highways 33 and 47 to the north county line and west to the state
97	97	border and east to the county line ;
98	98	2. "Authority" refers to the Oklahoma State University
99	99	Veterinary Medicine Authority ; and
100	100	3. "Management plan" refers to a document developed based on
101	101	the findings of the study that outlines recommended actions for the
102	102	conservation and management of elk populatio ns.
103	103	C. No later than November 1, 2025, the Oklahoma State
104	104	University Veterinary Medicine Authority in cooperation with the OSU
105	105	College of Veterinary Medicine, shall establish a plan and outline
106	106	for a comprehensive study of the elk population within the Sp ecial
107	107	Northwest Zone. The comprehensive study shall assess current
108	108	population levels, trends, habitat usage, and develop science -based
109	109	management recommendations aimed at ensuring the long -term
110	110	sustainability of elk populations and the health of the ecosy stem.
111	111	The comprehensive study shall include, but not be limited to, the
112	112	following program characteristics:
113	113	1. The current elk population size, distribution, and density
114	114	within the study zone;
115	115
116	116	Req. No. 10657 Page 3 1
117	117	2
118	118	3
119	119	4
120	120	5
121	121	6
122	122	7
123	123	8
124	124	9
125	125	10
126	126	11
127	127	12
128	128	13
129	129	14
130	130	15
131	131	16
132	132	17
133	133	18
134	134	19
135	135	20
136	136	21
137	137	22
138	138	23
139	139	24
140	140
141	141	2. The health and genetic diversity of the elk population,
142	142	including disease monitoring and signs of inbreeding or other health
143	143	concerns;
144	144	3. The effectiveness and impact of current elk population
145	145	management strategies, including hunting, predation control, and
146	146	habitat conservation ; and
147	147	4. Recommendations culminati ng in the form of a management plan
148	148	for the conservation and management of elk populations within the
149	149	study zone.
150	150	D. The Authority may coordinate with other relevant state and
151	151	federal agencies to effectuate the provisions of this act. Such
152	152	coordination may include requests for temporary suspension and/or
153	153	restrictions of elk huntin g or harvesting while the comprehensive
154	154	study is being conducted.
155	155	E. The Authority shall maintain detailed accounting and
156	156	financial records of appropriations received and expend itures made
157	157	pursuant to the purposes of this act. The Authority may engage
158	158	external experts and scientists to plan and implement the
159	159	comprehensive study. The engagement of such external experts shall
160	160	be implemented in accordance with the policies of the Authority.
161	161	The Authority is authorized to carry forward to a future fiscal ye ar
162	162	any unexpended funds related to this act.
163	163	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
164	164
165	165	Req. No. 10657 Page 4 1
166	166	2
167	167	3
168	168	4
169	169	5
170	170	6
171	171	7
172	172	8
173	173	9
174	174	10
175	175	11
176	176	12
177	177	13
178	178	14
179	179	15
180	180	16
181	181	17
182	182	18
183	183	19
184	184	20
185	185	21
186	186	22
187	187	23
188	188	24
189	189
190	190	SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
191	191	of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
192	192	declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
193	193	be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
194	194
195	195	60-1-10657 JL 01/06/25