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SB412 • 2025

Requires the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to make special cougar tags available that allow the use of dogs to hunt or pursue cougars.

Requires the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to make special cougar tags available that allow the use of dogs to hunt or pursue cougars.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Senator Girod
Last action
2025-06-27
Official status
In Senate Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to make special cougar tags available that allow the use of dogs to hunt or pursue cougars.

Digest: The Act tells an agency to create special cougar tags for hunting or chasing cougars with dogs.

What This Bill Does

  • Digest: The Act tells an agency to create special cougar tags for hunting or chasing cougars with dogs.
  • The Act allows a person who buys a certain license to get a special cougar tag for free.
  • (Flesch Readability Score: 73.0).
  • Requires the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to make special cougar tags available that allow the use of dogs to hunt or pursue cougars.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-27 Senate

    In committee upon adjournment.

  2. 2025-01-17 Senate

    Referred to Natural Resources and Wildfire, then Ways and Means.

  3. 2025-01-13 Senate

    Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.

Official Summary Text

Digest: The Act tells an agency to create special cougar tags for hunting or chasing cougars with dogs. The Act allows a person who buys a certain license to get a special cougar tag for free. (Flesch Readability Score: 73.0).
Requires the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to make special cougar tags available that allow the use of dogs to hunt or pursue cougars.
Relating to: Relating to cougars.
Current location: In Senate Committee

Current Bill Text

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 412
Sponsored by Senator GIROD (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act tells an agency to create special cougar tags for hunting or chasing cougars
with dogs. The Act allows a person who buys a certain license to get a special cougar tag for free.
(Flesch Readability Score: 73.0).
Requires the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to make special cougar tags available that
allow the use of dogs to hunt or pursue cougars.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to cougars; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 498.164.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) The State Department of Fish and Wildlife shall establish and make
available special cougar tags that allow the holder to use one or more dogs to hunt or pursue
cougars.
(2) Notwithstanding ORS 497.132, a purchaser of a sportspac license may use dogs to hunt
or pursue cougars only if the purchaser obtains a special cougar tag under this section.
(3) The department may not charge the purchaser of a sportspac license an additional fee
for the special cougar tag.
SECTION 2. ORS 498.164 is amended to read:
498.164. (1) Except as provided in [ subsections (2) and (3) ] subsection (2) of this section, a per-
son may not use bait to attract or take black bears or use one or more dogs to hunt or pursue black
bears or cougars.
(2) [Nothing in ] Subsection (1) of this section [ prohibits] does not apply to:
(a) The use of bait or one or more dogs by employees or agents of county, state or federal
agencies while acting in their official capacities.
[(3)] (b) [Nothing in subsection (1) of this section prohibits ] The use of bait or dogs by persons for
the taking of black bears or cougars in accordance with the provisions of ORS 498.012 relating to
taking wildlife that is causing damage.
(c) The use of one or more dogs for hunting or pursuing cougars by a person holding a
special cougar tag issued under section 1 of this 2025 Act.
[(4)] (3) [ Any ] A person who violates subsection (1) of this section commits a Class A
misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall in addition to appropriate criminal penalties have the
person’s privilege to apply for any hunting license suspended for a period of five years for a first
offense and permanently suspended for any subsequent offense.
[(5)] (4) [ For the purposes of ] As used in this section, “bait” means any material placed for the
purpose of attracting or attempting to attract bears.
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1641