Wyoming 2025 Regular Session

Wyoming House Bill HB0005 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	ORIGINAL HOUSE ENGROSSED
2		-	BILL NO. HB0005
3		-	ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
4		-	SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
5		-	2025 GENERAL SESSION
6		-	1
7		-	AN ACT relating to game and fish; authorizing the Wyoming
8		-	game and fish commission to regulate commercially guided
9		-	fishing boats; providing for registration of commercially
10		-	guided fishing boats, vehicles and trailers operated by
11		-	outfitters and professional fishing guides; providing an
12		-	exception; creating an advisory board; specifying duties of
13		-	the advisory board; requiring a report; providing
14		-	definitions; providing rulemaking authority; and providing
15		-	for an effective date.
16		-	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
17		-	Section 1. W.S. 23-3-206 is created to read:
18		-	23-3-206. Commercially guided fishing boats;
19		-	regulatory authority; advisory board; definitions.
20		-	(a) To protect the quality of the fishing experience,
21		-	the fishery and other aquatic resources and species in this
22		-	state, the commission may set limits on or otherwise
23		-	regulate the number of commercially guided fishing boats
24		-	allowed to launch into or use any river or lake or section
25		-	thereof in this state. This subsection shall not apply to a
26		-	person who uses a city, town, county or state boat ramp or
27		-	other access point to launch a commercially guided fishing
28		-	boat to guide fishermen if the person is guiding the
29		-	fishermen to a location where the lands are owned or leased
30		-	by the person or the person's immediate family member.
31		-	(b) There is created a commercially guided fishing
32		-	boats advisory board. The board shall consist of seven (7)
33		-	members appointed by the commission. One (1) member shall
34		-	be appointed from each appointment district pursuant to
35		-	W.S. 9-1-218 and at least two (2) members appointed shall
36		-	be Wyoming owned drift boat guide business owners. Members ORIGINAL HOUSE ENGROSSED
37		-	BILL NO. HB0005
38		-	ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
39		-	SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
40		-	2025 GENERAL SESSION
	1	+	2025
	2	+	STATE OF WYOMING
	3	+	25LSO-0215
	4	+	ENGROSSED
	5	+	1HB0005
	6	+	HOUSE BILL NO. HB0005
	7	+	Fishing outfitters and guides-registration of fishing
	8	+	boats.
	9	+	Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural
	10	+	Resources Interim Committee
	11	+	A BILL
	12	+	for
	13	+	1 AN ACT relating to game and fish; authorizing the Wyoming
	14	+	2 game and fish commission to regulate commercially guided
	15	+	3 fishing boats; providing for registration of commercially
	16	+	4 guided fishing boats, vehicles and trailers operated by
	17	+	5 outfitters and professional fishing guides; providing an
	18	+	6 exception; creating an advisory board; specifying duties of
	19	+	7 the advisory board; requiring a report; providing
	20	+	8 definitions; providing rulemaking authority; and providing
	21	+	9 for an effective date.
	22	+	10
	23	+	11
	24	+	12
	25	+	13. W.S. 23-3-206 is created to read:
	26	+	14 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0215
	27	+	ENGROSSED
	28	+	2HB00051
41	29		2
42		-	shall serve a four (4) year term. The commission may remove
43		-	any member of the board, subject to W.S. 9-1-202. Vacancies
44		-	of the board shall be filled by appointment for the
45		-	unexpired term. The board shall provide recommendations to
46		-	the commission for promulgating rules under subsection (c)
47		-	of this section. Members of the board shall receive no
48		-	compensation but shall be reimbursed by the commission for
49		-	per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of
50		-	their official duties in the same manner and amount as
51		-	state employees.
52		-	(c) The commission may promulgate rules governing the
53		-	registration and means of tracking the number of
54		-	commercially guided fishing boats launching into or using
55		-	any river or lake or section thereof. The commission may
56		-	hold public meetings in each county in which its rules
57		-	apply. The rules shall require registration and payment of
58		-	an annual fee for each commercially guided fishing boat
59		-	beginning January 1, 2026. The department shall provide two
60		-	(2) registration stickers one (1) of which shall be
61		-	displayed on each commercially guided fishing boat and
62		-	trailer registered under this subsection.
63		-	(d) As used in this section:
64		-	(i) "Commercially guided fishing boat" means a
65		-	fishing boat that is operated by an outfitter or
66		-	professional fishing guide to provide fishing guide
67		-	services for financial gain;
68		-	(ii) "Fishing guide services" means for hire or
69		-	remuneration, accompanying and providing assistance to a
70		-	person on a river or lake or section thereof for the
71		-	purposes of fishing; ORIGINAL HOUSE ENGROSSED
72		-	BILL NO. HB0005
73		-	ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
74		-	SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
75		-	2025 GENERAL SESSION
76		-	3(iii) "Operate" means to navigate or otherwise
77		-	use a commercially guided fishing boat;
78		-	(iv) "Outfitter" or "professional fishing guide"
79		-	means a person who advertises or holds himself out to the
80		-	public for hire for the purpose of financial gain to
81		-	provide fishing guide services, excluding any person who
82		-	furnishes fishing equipment or boats to a person for
83		-	exclusively personal and temporary use. "Outfitter" or
84		-	"professional fishing guide" includes any person requiring
85		-	the payment of fees or remuneration for providing personal
86		-	services on a river or lake or section thereof for the
87		-	purposes of fishing.
88		-	Section 2. Not later than November 1, 2025, the game
89		-	and fish commission and the commercially guided fishing
90		-	boats advisory board created in section 1 of this act shall
91		-	make recommendations to the joint travel, recreation,
92		-	wildlife and cultural resources interim committee on the
93		-	creation of a new board or amendment to an existing board
94		-	to carry out the duties specified in section 1 of this act. ORIGINAL HOUSE ENGROSSED
95		-	BILL NO. HB0005
96		-	ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
97		-	SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
98		-	2025 GENERAL SESSION
99		-	4Section 3. This act is effective immediately upon
100		-	completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
101		-	as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming
102		-	Constitution.
103		-	(END)
104		-	Speaker of the HousePresident of the SenateGovernorTIME APPROVED: _________DATE APPROVED: _________
105		-	I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.
106		-	Chief Clerk
	30	+	3
	31	+	4 (a) To protect the quality of the fishing experience,
	32	+	5 the fishery and other aquatic resources and species in this
	33	+	6 state, the commission may set limits on or otherwise
	34	+	7 regulate the number of commercially guided fishing boats
	35	+	8 allowed to launch into or use any river or lake or section
	36	+	9 thereof in this state in a lawful ratio that prioritizes
	37	+	10 Wyoming resident professional guides and outfitters. This
	38	+	11 subsection shall not apply to a Wyoming resident if that
	39	+	12 person uses a city, town, county or state boat ramp or
	40	+	13 other access point to launch a commercially guided fishing
	41	+	14 boat to guide fishermen if the Wyoming resident is guiding
	42	+	15 the fishermen to a location where the lands are owned or
	43	+	16 leased by the Wyoming resident or the Wyoming resident's
	44	+	17 immediate family member.
	45	+	18
	46	+	19 (b) There is created a commercially guided fishing
	47	+	20 boats advisory board. The board shall consist of seven (7)
	48	+	21 members appointed by the commission. One (1) member shall
	49	+	22 be appointed from each appointment district pursuant to
	50	+	23 W.S. 9-1-218 and at least two (2) members appointed shall 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0215
	51	+	ENGROSSED
	52	+	3HB0005
	53	+	1 be Wyoming owned drift boat guide business owners. Members
	54	+	2 shall serve a four (4) year term. The commission may remove
	55	+	3 any member of the board, subject to W.S. 9-1-202. Vacancies
	56	+	4 of the board shall be filled by appointment for the
	57	+	5 unexpired term. The board shall provide recommendations to
	58	+	6 the commission for promulgating rules under subsection (c)
	59	+	7 of this section.
	60	+	8
	61	+	9 (c) The commission may promulgate rules governing the
	62	+	10 registration and means of tracking the number of
	63	+	11 commercially guided fishing boats launching into or using
	64	+	12 any river or lake or section thereof. In addition to
	65	+	13 satisfying the requirements of the Wyoming Administrative
	66	+	14 Procedure Act, the commission shall hold public meetings in
	67	+	15 each county in which its rules apply. The rules shall
	68	+	16 require registration and payment of an annual fee for each
	69	+	17 commercially guided fishing boat and vehicle or trailer
	70	+	18 that is operated by an outfitter or professional fishing
	71	+	19 guide in any river or lake or section thereof for which the
	72	+	20 commission has set limits or other regulations. The annual
	73	+	21 fee established under this subsection may be different for
	74	+	22 resident and nonresident professional fishing guides or
	75	+	23 outfitters and shall be in a ratio similar to the fee ratio 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0215
	76	+	ENGROSSED
	77	+	4HB0005
	78	+	1 for twelve (12) month resident fishing licenses and twelve
	79	+	2 (12) month nonresident fishing licenses under W.S.
	80	+	3 23-2-201(d). A registration sticker shall be displayed on
	81	+	4 each commercially guided fishing boat and on each vehicle
	82	+	5 or trailer registered under this subsection.
	83	+	6
	84	+	7 (d) As used in this section:
	85	+	8
	86	+	9 (i) "Commercially guided fishing boat" means a
	87	+	10 fishing boat that is operated by an outfitter or
	88	+	11 professional fishing guide to provide fishing guide
	89	+	12 services for financial gain;
	90	+	13
	91	+	14 (ii) "Fishing guide services" means for hire or
	92	+	15 remuneration, accompanying and providing assistance to a
	93	+	16 person on a river or lake or section thereof for the
	94	+	17 purposes of fishing;
	95	+	18
	96	+	19 (iii) "Operate" means to navigate or otherwise
	97	+	20 use a commercially guided fishing boat;
	98	+	21
	99	+	22 (iv) "Outfitter" or "professional fishing guide"
	100	+	23 means a person who advertises or holds himself out to the 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0215
	101	+	ENGROSSED
	102	+	5HB0005
	103	+	1 public for hire for the purpose of financial gain to
	104	+	2 provide fishing guide services, excluding any person who
	105	+	3 furnishes fishing equipment or boats to a person for
	106	+	4 exclusively personal and temporary use. "Outfitter" or
	107	+	5 "professional fishing guide" includes any person requiring
	108	+	6 the payment of fees or remuneration for providing personal
	109	+	7 services on a river or lake or section thereof for the
	110	+	8 purposes of fishing.
	111	+	9
	112	+	10. Not later than November 1, 2025, the game
	113	+	11 and fish commission and the commercially guided fishing
	114	+	12 boats advisory board created in section 1 of this act shall
	115	+	13 make recommendations to the joint travel, recreation,
	116	+	14 wildlife and cultural resources interim committee on the
	117	+	15 creation of a new board or amendment to an existing board
	118	+	16 to carry out the duties specified in section 1 of this act.
	119	+	17
	120	+	18. This act is effective July 1, 2025
	121	+	19
	122	+	20 (END)