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SF0041 • 2020

Animal damage management funding.

AN ACT relating to wildlife; increasing the request for funding for animal damage management from the game and fish commission; requiring the game and fish commission to recommend expenditures; clarifying who can request funding; establishing a fee for animal damage management funding; repealing provisions related to the wildlife damage management stamp; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Agriculture
Last action
2020-03-10
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
1/1/2021

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Animal Damage Management Funding Act

This law increases funding for animal damage management, sets up a fee for predator control activities, and removes certain provisions related to wildlife damage stamps.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the amount of money requested from the Game and Fish Commission for animal damage projects from $100,000 to $200,000.
  • Requires the Game and Fish Commission to provide recommendations on how to spend this funding.
  • Establishes an optional fee that hunters can pay when getting hunting licenses or tags to fund predator control activities.
  • Removes provisions related to the wildlife damage management stamp.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Game and Fish Commission
  • Hunters who apply for hunting licenses or tags

Terms To Know

Game and Fish Commission
A government agency responsible for managing wildlife in the state.
Predator control
Activities aimed at reducing the number of animals that prey on other animals, such as wolves or coyotes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how the increased funding will be used beyond prioritizing predator control.
  • It is unclear if all hunters will choose to pay the optional fee for predator control activities.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SF0041S2001

2nd reading • Senator Hicks

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how the Game and Fish Commission decides which projects should receive funding by prioritizing those that are most beneficial for wildlife or that can save money for the department.

  • Removes language after 'control' on page 4, line 3.
  • Inserts new criteria for project selection: projects must have the greatest benefit to wildlife or reduce costs for animal damage payments.
  • The exact impact of these changes on specific funding decisions is not detailed in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2020-03-10 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 48

  2. 2020-03-10 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0011

  3. 2020-03-06 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0011

  4. 2020-03-05 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0011

  5. 2020-03-04 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0011

  6. 2020-03-04 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 51-9-0-0-0

  7. 2020-03-03 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2020-03-02 House

    H COW:Passed

  9. 2020-02-27 House

    H Placed on General File

  10. 2020-02-27 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  11. 2020-02-26 House

    :Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations

  12. 2020-02-26 House

    H05 - Agriculture:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  13. 2020-02-24 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H05 - Agriculture

  14. 2020-02-18 House

    H Received for Introduction

  15. 2020-02-17 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-0-1-0-0

  16. 2020-02-14 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2020-02-13 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Laid Back

  18. 2020-02-12 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  19. 2020-02-12 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  20. 2020-02-12 Senate

    S05 - Agriculture:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  21. 2020-02-10 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S05 - Agriculture 28-0-2-0-0

  22. 2020-02-07 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  23. 2020-01-16 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 20LSO-0235
Bill No.:

SF0041

Effective:

01/01/2021

LSO No.:

20LSO-0235

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0011

Chapter No.:

48

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Interim Committee

Catch Title:

Animal damage management funding.

Subject:

Animal damage management funding.

Summary/Major Elements:

The act increases the amount of funding requested from the Game and Fish Commission by the animal damage management board for animal damage projects from one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) to two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00). Projects funded by amounts provided shall prioritize predator control.

The act also establishes an optional fee for predator control activities that may be paid by applicants for hunting licenses or tags and repeals the availability of the wildlife damage management stamp.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
20LSO-0235

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0041

ENROLLED ACT NO. 11,

SENATE

SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to wildlife; increasing the request for funding for animal damage management from the game and fish commission; requiring the game and fish commission to recommend expenditures; clarifying who can request funding; establishing a fee for animal damage management funding; repealing provisions related to the wildlife damage management stamp; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 11
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6
‑
202(a)(v), 11
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6
‑
307, 11
‑
6
‑
309(a), 23
‑
1
‑
302(j) and 23
‑
2
‑
101 by creating a new subsection (p) are amended to read:

11
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6
‑
202.

Administration of districts by district boards; number and qualifications of members; term; filling of vacancies; removal.

(a)

The affairs of each district shall be administered by a board of directors, each of whom shall be a bona fide resident of Wyoming. Directors for the positions identified in paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this subsection shall be elected at an annual meeting of district livestock owners. Directors for the positions identified in paragraphs (iv) and (v) of this subsection shall be appointed as described. The composition of the board shall be as follows:

(v)

If the board of directors determines state funds are necessary for an effective predator management program to assure the statutory requirements provided in W.S. 11
‑
6
‑
205 are fulfilled and state funds are appropriated and received for that purpose, then three (3) directors representing sportsmen and hunters from the
district shall be appointed to the board of directors by the county commissioners serving the local district. Sportsmen and hunter representatives shall be bona fide residents of the district not engaged in raising sheep or cattle and shall hold or have held
either
a valid Wyoming fishing or hunting license
or a Wyoming wildlife damage management stamp
within the preceding twelve (12) month period. County commissioners, to the greatest extent practical, shall select sportsmen and hunter representatives to ensure representation from as broad a geographic distribution of the district as possible. The county commissioners shall determine who of the three (3) sportsmen and hunter directors appointed to a board under this paragraph shall serve an initial term of one (1) year, who shall serve an initial term of (2) years and who shall serve a term of three (3) years. Thereafter, each term shall be for three (3) years.

11
‑
6
‑
307.

Board to request funding from game and fish commission.

The board shall annually request
one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00)
two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00)
from the Wyoming game and fish commission. These funds shall be expended for wildlife priorities. The game and fish commission
may
shall
provide recommendations to the board regarding expenditure of these funds.
Priority shall be given to projects that directly involve predator control that will have the greatest benefit to wildlife or will reduce the cost to the department for animal damage payments.

11
‑
6
‑
309.

Predator management district participation with the ADMB.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, if the predator management district has elected to participate in providing funding or upon approval of the ADMB, other in
‑
kind resources, to the animal damage management account, the district may solicit funds or receive services from the ADMB under separate negotiated agreement.
Two (2) or more districts may jointly solicit funds or receive services from the ADMB for purposes of this section.

23
‑
1
‑
302.

Powers and duties.

(j)

For the purpose of attaining and maintaining wildlife management objectives, the commission may designate funds not to exceed four percent (4%) of all license fees under this title annually
plus any amount collected under W.S. 23
‑
2
‑
101(p)
to be used for management and control of predator populations.

23
‑
2
‑
101.

Fees; restrictions; nonresident application fee; nonresident licenses; verification of residency required.

(p)

In addition to other fees under this section, persons applying for a license or tag under this section may pay a voluntary fee of two dollars ($2.00) or any greater amount to fund predator control activities in the state. The department shall provide information on the license or tag application form that the applicant may pay the fee under this subsection. Any voluntary fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in a separate account within the game and fish fund and shall only be expended as determined by the commission for management and control of predator populations and depredating animals. The commission may consider projects
that mitigate damage caused to livestock, wildlife and crops by predatory animals, predacious birds and depredating animals or for the protection of human health and safety and may also use these funds for the purposes specified in W.S. 11
‑
6
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307 and 23
‑
1
‑
901. As used in this subsection, "depredating animal" means any trophy game animal or furbearing animal that causes damage.

Section 2.

W.S. 11
‑
6
‑
305(a) and (b) is repealed.

Section 3
.

This act is effective January 1, 2021
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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