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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- S 0864 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC002560 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE -- HUNTING AND HUNTING SAFETY--WILDLIFE |
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| 16 | 16 | | KILLING CONTEST |
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| 17 | 17 | | Introduced By: Senators Britto, McKenney, and Appollonio |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: March 21, 2025 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 20-13 of the General Laws entitled "Hunting and Hunting Safety" is 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 20-13-19. Wildlife killing contest prohibited. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) As used in this section, "wildlife killing contest", also referred to as predator hunting 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | contests, challenges, drives, tournaments, or derbies, means a contest, organized competition, 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | tournament, or derby that has as its objective the taking or hunting of any furbearers, as defined by 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | § 20-16-1, on state or private land, for cash, prizes, or other inducement. 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (b) A person, organization, or business shall not organize, sponsor, promote, conduct, or 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | participate in any wildlife killing contest in this state. 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) The prohibition in subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to: 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) Field trials permitted by the department under §§ 20-19-1 through 20-19-4; 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) Wildlife damage control activities authorized under § 20-1-24, as long as those 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | activities do not take place during a contest, organized competition, tournament, or derby; and 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) Lawful hunting or trapping activities authorized under §§ 20-1-4; 20-1-8; 20-1-12; and 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | 20-1-13, as long as those activities do not take place during a contest, organized competition, or 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | derby. 16 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (d) A person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than five hundred 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | dollars ($500) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for a first offense. Upon a second 18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC002560 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | and all subsequent convictions related to violations of subsection (b) of this section, or any 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | conviction while their hunting license is suspended, a person who violates this section shall be fined 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | a minimum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (e) An organization or business which violates this section shall be fined not less than one 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | thousand dollars ($1,000) and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for a first offense. Upon 5 |
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| 49 | 49 | | a second and all subsequent convictions related to violations of subsection (b) of this section an 6 |
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| 50 | 50 | | organization or business which violates this section shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars 7 |
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| 51 | 51 | | ($5,000) and not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000). 8 |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 9 |
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| 53 | 53 | | ======== |
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| 54 | 54 | | LC002560 |
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| 55 | 55 | | ======== |
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| 56 | 56 | | |
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| 57 | 57 | | |
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| 58 | 58 | | LC002560 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 59 | 59 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 60 | 60 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 61 | 61 | | OF |
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| 62 | 62 | | A N A C T |
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| 63 | 63 | | RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE -- HUNTING AND HUNTING SAFETY--WILDLIFE |
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| 64 | 64 | | KILLING CONTEST |
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| 65 | 65 | | *** |
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| 66 | 66 | | This act would ban wildlife killing contests on both public and private lands in the state. 1 |
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| 67 | 67 | | Penalties for violations for individuals start at five hundred dollars ($500) and increase for repeat 2 |
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| 68 | 68 | | offenders. Penalties for businesses and organizations start at one thousand dollars ($1,000) and 3 |
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| 69 | 69 | | increase for repeat offenders or while under license suspension. 4 |
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| 70 | 70 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 5 |
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| 72 | 72 | | LC002560 |
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