HB1249 • 2026

Police Powers of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Shoaf
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The exact consequences for non-compliance by officers are not detailed.

Police Powers for Fish and Wildlife Officers

This bill specifies the conditions under which officers from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can enter private property.

What This Bill Does

Specifies when commission officers and other personnel may enter private land to enforce wildlife laws.
Requires that officers follow the same rules as law enforcement officers when entering private property.
Allows officers to bring necessary equipment with them while enforcing laws on private land.
Ensures that going onto private land for official duties does not count as trespassing.

Who It Names or Affects

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers
People who own or manage private property

Terms To Know

Peace Officers: Law enforcement officials with the power to make arrests.
Trespassing: Entering someone's land without permission, which is against the law.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify consequences if officers enter private property without following rules.
It remains unclear how this will affect people who do not want wildlife officers on their land.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2026-02-04 House
• Favorable by Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee • Reported out of Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee • Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2026-02-02 House
• Added to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee agenda
2026-01-15 House
• Referred to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee • Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee • Referred to State Affairs Committee • Now in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2026-01-08 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Police Powers of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Specifies conditions under which commission officers & other commission personnel may enter private property.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 1249 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1249-00
Page 1 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to police powers of the Fish and 2
Wildlife Conservation Commission; amending s. 3
379.3311, F.S.; specifying the conditions under which 4
commission officers and other commission personnel may 5
enter private property; providing an effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
9
Section 1. Subsection (1) and paragraph (a) of subsection 10
(2) of section 379.3311, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 11
379.3311 Police powers of commission and its agents.— 12
(1) The commission, the executive director and the 13
executive director's assistants designated by her or him, and 14
each commission officer are constituted peace officers with the 15
power to make arrests for violations of the laws of this state 16
when committed in the presence of the officer or when committed 17
on lands under the supervision and management of the commission, 18
the department, the Board of Trustees of the Internal 19
Improvement Trust Fund, or the Department of Agriculture and 20
Consumer Services, including state parks, coastal and aquatic 21
managed areas, and greenways and trails. The general laws 22
applicable to arrests by peace officers of this state shall also 23
be applicable to such director, assistants, and commission 24
officers. Such persons may enter upon any land or waters of the 25

HB 1249 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1249-00
Page 2 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

state in the same manner and subject to the same requirements as 26
a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), for 27
performance of their lawful duties and may take with them any 28
necessary equipment, and such entry does not constitute a 29
trespass. 30
(2) Such officers may enforce throughout the state all 31
laws relating to game, nongame birds, fish, and fur-bearing 32
animals and all rules and regulations of the commission relating 33
to wild animal life, marine life, and freshwater aquatic life, 34
and in connection with such laws, rules, and regulations, in the 35
enforcement thereof and in the performance of their duties 36
thereunder, to: 37
(a) Go upon all premises in the same manner and subject to 38
the same requirements as a law enforcement officer, as defined 39
in s. 943.10(1), posted or otherwise; 40
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 41