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HB0095 • 2021

Game road kill.

AN ACT relating to game and fish; authorizing rules to provide for the collection of road killed animals; providing restrictions; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Representative Zwonitzer
Last action
2021-04-05
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2021

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes details about a fee for donation certificates which are not explicitly mentioned in the provided official source material.

Rules for Collecting Road-Killed Animals

This law allows people to collect road-killed wildlife under certain conditions, excluding specific species and roads.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates rules allowing individuals to collect road-killed animals after a vehicle collision on public roads or highways in Wyoming.
  • Requires collectors to obtain a donation certificate from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department before collecting an animal.
  • Excludes bighorn sheep, gray wolves classified as trophy game, grizzly bears, mountain goats, migratory birds, threatened or endangered species, and other prohibited animals from being collected.
  • Gives the state transportation commission authority to exempt certain roads or highways from this program.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to collect road-killed wildlife in Wyoming.
  • The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the State Transportation Commission.

Terms To Know

Donation Certificate
A document issued by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department that allows a person to legally collect and possess road-killed wildlife.
Trophy Game Animals
Specific animals, like gray wolves in certain areas of Wyoming, which have special hunting regulations.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not apply to all species and roads; some are excluded based on conservation or safety concerns.
  • It is unclear how many people will participate in the program or its impact on wildlife populations.

Amendments

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

HB0095H2001

2nd reading • Representative Zwonitzer

Corrected, Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a fee requirement for collecting road-killed animals and changes references from 'letters' to 'certificates'.

  • Adds a $40 authorization fee for collecting road-killed animals.
  • Changes the term 'letter' to 'certificate' in the bill text.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if someone cannot afford the $40 fee.
HB0095H2002

2nd reading • Representative Flitner

Failed

Plain English: The amendment changes how road-killed animals can be collected by specifying which roads are approved by the state transportation commission.

  • Removes the phrase 'any public road or highway' and replaces it with a requirement that only certain roads, approved by the state transportation commission, can be used for collecting road-killed animals.
  • Adds new language to specify that the department must identify which specific roads are allowed for collecting killed wildlife.
  • Modifies existing text to remove restrictions related to public roads or highways and replaces them with a period.
  • The amendment removes several lines of text, but it's not clear what those removed sections specifically did without the full context of the bill.
HB0095H2003

2nd reading • Representative Zwonitzer

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the language in the bill to allow for the collection of entire road-killed animals without motor vehicle involvement and removes certain restrictions.

  • Adds 'unintentional' before 'motor' on page 1, line 15.
  • Inserts new text before 'possesses' on page 2, line 4 to allow collecting the entire road-killed animal.
  • Deletes the phrase after 'dead' and removes the rest of that sentence on page 3.
  • The amendment's technical language may limit its full scope beyond what is explicitly stated.
HB0095HS001

Standing Committee • House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Re

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a new requirement for holding the entire road-killed animal and allows the state transportation commission to request exemptions for certain roads from the collection program.

  • Adds that anyone who possesses a road-killed animal must hold the whole animal, not just parts of it.
  • Includes a provision allowing the state transportation commission to exempt specific segments of public roads or highways from participating in the road kill collection program.
  • The amendment does not specify how exemptions will be determined or what criteria must be met for a segment of road to qualify for exemption.
HB0095S2001

2nd reading • Senator Hutchings

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how road-killed animals are handled by replacing references to certificates with letters and adding a new rule about carcass disposal.

  • Replaces the word 'certificate' with 'letter' in several places.
  • Adds a new section stating that once a road-killed animal is picked up by the transportation department, it becomes their property and must be disposed of according to their procedures.
  • The amendment does not explain what specific restrictions or rules were removed from the bill text.
  • It's unclear how this change will affect the overall process for collecting road-killed animals.
HB0095S2002

2nd reading • Senator Ellis

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a restriction that people with a certificate of authorization cannot donate road-killed animals to nonprofit organizations.

  • Adds a new rule prohibiting individuals who have a certificate of authorization from donating road-killed game and fish to nonprofits.
  • The text does not specify what happens if someone violates this new restriction, such as potential penalties or consequences.
HB0095S3001

3rd reading • Senator Landen

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes certain language about certificates and specific conditions related to road-killed game animals.

  • Removes the phrase 'one (1) of the following:' from the bill text.
  • Deletes lines that describe restrictions on collecting road-killed animals, including a reference to a certificate of authorization.
  • Replaces 'certificate of authorization' with 'donation certificate'.
  • The amendment does not provide details about what specific conditions or rules were removed.
HB0095SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural R

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how people can collect road-killed animals by removing references to donations and adding a $40 fee for authorization. It also clarifies that the carcass becomes property of the department once retrieved.

  • Removes mentions of 'donation' throughout the bill text.
  • Adds a new requirement for people to pay a $40 fee or obtain an authorization certificate instead of making donations.
  • Specifies that road-killed animal carcasses become the property of the Department of Transportation once retrieved by them.
  • The exact procedures for disposal of carcasses by the department are not detailed in this amendment.

Bill History

  1. 2021-04-05 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 88

  2. 2021-04-05 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0058

  3. 2021-04-01 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0058

  4. 2021-04-01 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0058

  5. 2021-04-01 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0058

  6. 2021-03-31 House

    H Concur:Passed 44-16-0-0-0

  7. 2021-03-30 House

    H Received for Concurrence

  8. 2021-03-30 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 19-11-0-0-0

  9. 2021-03-29 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2021-03-26 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  11. 2021-03-25 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  12. 2021-03-25 Senate

    S06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0

  13. 2021-03-10 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S06 - Travel

  14. 2021-03-05 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  15. 2021-03-05 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 35-24-1-0-0

  16. 2021-03-04 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2021-03-03 House

    H COW:Passed

  18. 2021-03-01 House

    H Placed on General File

  19. 2021-03-01 House

    H06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0

  20. 2021-02-05 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H06 - Travel

  21. 2021-02-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  22. 2021-02-02 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 21LSO-0293
Bill No.:

HB0095

Effective:

7/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

21LSO-0293

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0058

Chapter No.:

88

Prime Sponsor:

Zwonitzer

Catch Title:

Game road kill.

Subject:

Road killed animals.

Summary/Major Elements:

This bill requires the game and fish commission, in consultation with the state transportation commission, to adopt rules to establish a program allowing a person desiring to possess wildlife killed as a result of an unintentional vehicle collision to do so.

The bill requires the person to collect the entire animal and possess a donation certificate issued by the Wyoming game and fish department.

The program excludes bighorn sheep, gray wolves where classified as trophy game, grizzly bears, mountain goats, wildlife covered under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, federal threatened or endangered species, or species whose possession is prohibited by state or federal law or regulation and may exclude specified segments of public roads or highways.
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
21LSO-0293

ORIGINAL House

ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0095

ENROLLED ACT NO. 58,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session

AN ACT relating to game and fish; authorizing rules to provide for the collection of road killed animals; providing restrictions; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 23
‑
3
‑
310 is created to read:

23
‑
3
‑
310.

Possession of road killed wildlife.

(a)

The commission shall, in consultation with the state transportation commission, adopt rules to establish a program whereby any person desiring to possess wildlife killed as a result of unintentional motor vehicle collisions on any public road or highway in the state of Wyoming is permitted to do so, provided that he collects the entire road killed animal, both edible and inedible portions and possesses a donation certificate or Wyoming interstate game tag issued by the department, including a certificate or tag issued electronically. Unless otherwise provided by rule of the commission, a person desiring to possess a road killed animal shall contact the department before taking possession of an animal to obtain a donation certificate. The rules may provide that a person requesting the donation certificate may have to present the animal for inspection to verify its possession meets the criteria of the regulation. No person possessing a donation certificate shall donate a road killed animal to a nonprofit organization in accordance with W.S. 35
‑
7
‑
1302(b)(vii).

(b)

None of the provisions of this section shall apply to bighorn sheep, gray wolves within any area of the state where gray wolves are classified as trophy game animals, grizzly bears, mountain goats, wildlife species
covered under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, federal threatened or endangered species or those species whose possession is prohibited by federal or state statute or regulation.

(c)

Nothing in this section shall authorize the taking of wildlife or possession of any illegally taken wildlife.

(d)

Upon request of the state transportation commission, the commission shall exempt segments of public road or highway from the program established pursuant to this section.

(e)

Once a carcass is retrieved by the department of transportation, it becomes the property of the department and shall be disposed of in accordance with department procedures.

Section 2.

W.S. 23
‑
3
‑
106(a)(i), (ii) and by creating a new paragraph (iii) is amended to read:

23
‑
3
‑
106.

Wyoming game and Wyoming interstate game tags; when required.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section and W.S. 23
‑
2
‑
302(e), no person shall ship, transport, or receive for shipment or transportation within Wyoming, any game animal, game bird, or any part thereof, unless tagged with a Wyoming game tag or Wyoming interstate game tag, or unless:

(i)

The transportation is by a person accompanying the carcass of a big or trophy game animal who is in possession of a proper coupon;
or

(ii)

The transportation is by a properly licensed bird or small game hunter in possession of not more than his daily bag or possession limit
;
.

or

(iii)

The transportation is by a person possessing authorization pursuant to W.S. 23
‑
3
‑
310.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 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 House.

Chief Clerk

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