Act No. 176

Public Acts of 2013

Approved by the Governor

November 26, 2013

Filed with the Secretary of State

November 26, 2013

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 25, 2014

STATE OF MICHIGAN

97TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2013

Introduced by Senators Casperson, Pavlov, Proos, Jones, Walker and Booher

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 172

AN ACT to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled “An act to protect the environment and natural resources of the state; to codify, revise, consolidate, and classify laws relating to the environment and natural resources of the state; to regulate the discharge of certain substances into the environment; to regulate the use of certain lands, waters, and other natural resources of the state; to protect the people’s right to hunt and fish; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials; to provide for certain charges, fees, assessments, and donations; to provide certain appropriations; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by amending sections 73109 and 73110 (MCL 324.73109 and 324.73110), as amended by 1998 PA 546.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 73109. The owner of property on which a violation of this part is committed, or his or her lessee, may bring a cause of action against an individual who violates this part for $750.00 or actual property damages, whichever is greater, and actual and reasonable attorney fees.

Sec. 73110. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) or (3), an individual who violates this part is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not less than $100.00 or more than $500.00, or both.

(2) An individual who kills any protected animal, game, or fish while violating this part is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not less than $250.00 or more than $750.00, or both.

(3) An individual convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this part occurring within 3 years of a previous violation of this part shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not less than $250.00 or more than $1,000.00, or both. In addition, the court shall order the individual’s license revoked if the individual is licensed to hunt, fish, or trap in this state, and shall order the individual not to seek or possess a license for the remainder of the calendar year in which the individual is convicted and during at least 1 succeeding calendar year. This subsection does not apply after September 30, 2001.

(4) This subsection applies beginning October 1, 2001. An individual convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this part occurring within 3 years of a previous violation of this part shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not less than $500.00 or more than $1,500.00, or both. In addition, the court may order the individual’s license revoked if the individual is licensed to hunt, fish, or trap in this state, and may order the individual not to seek or possess a license for not more than 3 succeeding calendar years.

(5) The court may order an individual convicted of violating this part to pay the costs of prosecution.

(6) The following may be seized and forfeited in the same manner as provided in chapter 47 of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.4701 to 600.4709:

(a) A protected animal, a fur-bearing animal, game, or fish taken while committing any violation of this part.

(b) Property in the possession of the defendant while committing a second or subsequent violation of this part occurring within 3 years of a previous violation of this part. This subdivision does not apply to either of the following:

(i) Electronic hunting-dog-retrieval equipment.

(ii) A living or dead animal of any kind not described in subdivision (a).

(7) The court shall order an individual convicted of violating this part to make restitution for any damage arising out of the violation, including, but not limited to, reimbursing this state for the value of any protected animal, fur-bearing animal, game, or fish taken while violating this part as provided in section 40119. However, the value of fish shall be determined as provided in section 48740.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect upon the expiration of 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.

Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect unless Senate Bill No. 171 of the 97th Legislature is enacted into law.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor