SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 613 (as introduced 10-10-13)
Sponsor: Senator Darwin L. Booher
Committee: Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 401 (Wildlife Conservation) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to do the following:
-- Allow an individual to possess game killed as a result of a motor vehicle collision, and grant the vehicle driver first priority to take possession.
-- Require an individual who took possession to prepare a written record and show it to a law enforcement officer upon request.
-- Require an individual to obtain a salvage tag from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in order to deliver the game to a business for taxidermy or tanning purposes.
Specifically, the bill would allow an individual to possess game, other than a bird, that was killed by or injured and euthanized following a collision with a motor vehicle. The driver of the vehicle would have first priority to take possession of the game.
An individual in possession of game under the bill would have to prepare a written record with all of the following information:
-- The date when and location where the individual took possession.
-- Whether he or she had requested a salvage tag (described below).
-- The individual's full name, date of birth, mailing address, and telephone number.
The individual would have to maintain the record until he or she obtained a salvage tag or until the game and its parts were consumed or composted or no longer possessed by anyone. The record would have to be kept at the location where the game or its parts were kept. The individual would have to exhibit the record upon a law enforcement officer's request.
An individual in possession of the game could not deliver it to a business for the purpose of taxidermy or tanning unless a salvage tag was securely attached to it. The person would have to ensure that the tag remained attached as long as the game remained in an unprocessed state or in possession of a business for the purpose of taxidermy or tanning.
The DNR promptly would have to issue a salvage tag for taxidermy or tanning purposes if requested by an individual in possession of game killed by a vehicle. The Department would have to accept requests for tags by electronic mail, mail, or telephone, or via the DNR website.