ElkHunter
Life Member
IOWA BOWHUNTERS ASSOCIATION
LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER
No. 9, 3/17/2008
Abbreviations... H=House, S=Senate, HF=House File, SF=Senate File, HSB=House Study Bill, SSB=Senate Study Bill, CR=Concurrent Resolution, JR=Joint Resolution, NRC=Natural Resource (& Env. in the Senate) Comm., HEPC=House Environment Protection Comm., CC= Commerce Comm., LGC=Local Gov’t. Comm., EdC=Education Comm., TC=Transportation Comm., SGC=State Gov’t. Comm., WMC=Ways & Means Comm., AC=Appropriations Comm., JC=Judiciary Comm., AgC=Ag. Comm., AgNRAS-Ag. & Natural Resources Appropriation Subcommittee (a joint Senate & House subcomm.), SB=Small Business & Economic Dev. (& Tourism in the Senate) Comm, HPSC=House Public Safety Comm.
The phone number to reach your Senator is 515/281-3371 & for your Representative is 515/281-3221. To access bills, E-Mail address for legislators, & other info on the Internet go to http://www.legis.state.ia.us
SUSTAINABLE FUNDING. SJR 2002, NAT RESOURCES TAX AMENDMENT. Proposes to amend the Iowa Constitution to restrict 0.375% of the sales tax for acquiring, managing and conserving lands and waters. Eligible for S debate. CONTACT BOTH YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES.
NAT. RESOURCES, OUTDOOR REC, Etc. …
HF 2080, CONSERVATION TAX CREDITS. Creates an income tax credit for the donations of fee or less-than-fee title real estate to a qualified conservation organization. Makes the credit equal to 50% of the value, and up to $100,000 and carried forward for 20 years. Eligible for H debate.
HF 2177, DEER TRANSPORTATION TAGS. Requires deer transport tags be affixed to the antlers of an antlered deer. Currently, by rule, the tag is only required to be attached to the deer carcass. Eligible for H debate.
HF 2440, MILITARY HUNTER SAFETY CERTIFICATION. Requires the DNR to certify the completion of a hunter safety course for a to nonambulatory member of the armed forces, or a person honorably discharged, who has passed a weapons proficiency test. Passed the H, goes to the S.
HF 2523, SF 2328, DEER DEPREDATION PROGRAM. Expands the Farmer Advisory Committee, requires it to meet twice a year and adds horticulture as an industry impacted by deer. Depredation licenses may only be transferred via a number system for resident hunters to purchase from the LC system ($10 + $1 for the LC system + $1 for HUSH). Resident landowners are to be given one depredation license for each season ($1 for the LC system + $1 for HUSH). Shooting permits are allowed at any time outside of authorized hunting seasons. Antlers must be turned into conservation officers on shooting permits. Animals must be disposed of either by consumption or through the HUSB program. Producers are not required to fence. Kills must be reported to the DNR. A deer study committee is to assess & make recommendations 1) on the current status of the deer population, harvest, and population management programs; 2) on the economic impact and value of deer; 3) on the cost of damage by deer; 4) on the number & cost of vehicle/deer accidents; 5) review Midwestern states deer management challenges & programs; & 6) assess public opinion concerning the number of deer & the impact and value of Iowa’s deer. Eligible for H & S debate.
HF 2612 (formerly HSB 764), DNR OMNIBUS. COUNTY REAP COMMITTEE. Eliminates a requirement that a designee appointed by a chairperson must be a member of the board of supervisors, county conservation board, commissioners of the soil and water district, and board of directors of each school district in the county. Also eliminates the requirement that the designee from a city must be a member of the city council. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS. Adopts new standards to determine residency for recreation vehicle registrations and various DNR licenses. ATVs. Allows the DNR to adopt rules on riding and maintaining ATV trails. Allows civil penalties for damages caused in additional to criminal prohibitions against illegal operation of an ATVs and authorizes mitigation for damages to property. CONSTRUCTION ON STATE LAND/WATERS: Makes changes to the provisions allowing the DNR to regulate the construction on or over any state-owned land. TRAVEL ON ICE. Allows ATVs, off-road motorcycles, and off-road utility vehicles to travel over ice without a permit from the DNR. HUNTING ACCIDENTS. Makes it a simple misdemeanor to fail to report an accident involving a gun or a tree stand. RECIPROCITY. Includes Iowa land beyond a border river in provisions regarding reciprocity. HUNTER SAFETY. Allows a hunter safety certificate to be from another state & allows the DNR to charge for hunter safety courses. Allows hunter safety courses to be in an electronic format. HUNTERS. Strikes the requirement that a person who qualifies for a free license because the person is veteran who is disabled or was a POW must have served a minimum of 90 days in active service. Allows a totally blind person to hunt with a laser sight so long as the person is accompanied by a sighted person. Requires that the person's blindness be certified by medical evidence. Makes changes to hunter trespass provisions. Increases the fine for spreading an aquatic invasive species (Eurasian water milfoil), to $500. Eligible for H debate.
SF 310, FISH & GAME PENALTIES. Raises the fine for illegally taking a bobcat from $50 to $200. Changes the method for calculating damages for illegally taking fish. Present damages for any fish are $15 per fish. Provides that damages for taking a fish of a species with an established daily limit of greater than 25 remains$15 per fish. A fish with a daily limit of 25 or less is $50, with some exceptions including a paddlefish at $500, muskellunge at $500 plus $100 for each inch over 50 inches, and largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, flathead catfish, rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout, is $50 plus $50 per inch over a specified size, depending on the species. The penalties don’t apply to accidental spills (livestock, fertilizer, sewage) that are covered in another section of the Code. HNR subcom-Davitt, Lukan, Shomshor.
SF 591, FISH & TURTLE LICENSES. Establishes commercial fish and turtle licenses and fees. Prohibits a commercial license holder from buying fish or turtles and requires the licensee to be present when commercial gear is used. Strikes mussel licenses and sets a limit for how many mussels a fish and turtle license holder can have. Eligible for H debate.
SF 2230, NONRESIDENT DEER & TURKEY LICENSES FOR THE DISABLED. Authorizes the DNR to issue special nonresident turkey and any-sex deer licenses to nonresidents who have a severe physical disability or a terminal illness and are 18 and under. Requires a physician to sign a declaration that the applicant has a severe physical disability or a terminal illness. The licenses are in addition to the authorized number of nonresident turkey and deer licenses. The nonresident pay the applicable nonresident turkey or deer license fee and the wildlife habitat fee. Amended & passed S. In HNR subcom-Davitt, Baudler, Mertz. Age is raised to 21 & the individual does not need a hunter safety certificate.
SJR 2002, NATURAL RESOURCES TAX AMENDMENT. Proposes to amend the Iowa Constitution to restrict 0.375% of the sales tax for acquiring, managing and conserving lands and waters. Eligible for S debate.
LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER
No. 9, 3/17/2008
Abbreviations... H=House, S=Senate, HF=House File, SF=Senate File, HSB=House Study Bill, SSB=Senate Study Bill, CR=Concurrent Resolution, JR=Joint Resolution, NRC=Natural Resource (& Env. in the Senate) Comm., HEPC=House Environment Protection Comm., CC= Commerce Comm., LGC=Local Gov’t. Comm., EdC=Education Comm., TC=Transportation Comm., SGC=State Gov’t. Comm., WMC=Ways & Means Comm., AC=Appropriations Comm., JC=Judiciary Comm., AgC=Ag. Comm., AgNRAS-Ag. & Natural Resources Appropriation Subcommittee (a joint Senate & House subcomm.), SB=Small Business & Economic Dev. (& Tourism in the Senate) Comm, HPSC=House Public Safety Comm.
The phone number to reach your Senator is 515/281-3371 & for your Representative is 515/281-3221. To access bills, E-Mail address for legislators, & other info on the Internet go to http://www.legis.state.ia.us
SUSTAINABLE FUNDING. SJR 2002, NAT RESOURCES TAX AMENDMENT. Proposes to amend the Iowa Constitution to restrict 0.375% of the sales tax for acquiring, managing and conserving lands and waters. Eligible for S debate. CONTACT BOTH YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES.
NAT. RESOURCES, OUTDOOR REC, Etc. …
HF 2080, CONSERVATION TAX CREDITS. Creates an income tax credit for the donations of fee or less-than-fee title real estate to a qualified conservation organization. Makes the credit equal to 50% of the value, and up to $100,000 and carried forward for 20 years. Eligible for H debate.
HF 2177, DEER TRANSPORTATION TAGS. Requires deer transport tags be affixed to the antlers of an antlered deer. Currently, by rule, the tag is only required to be attached to the deer carcass. Eligible for H debate.
HF 2440, MILITARY HUNTER SAFETY CERTIFICATION. Requires the DNR to certify the completion of a hunter safety course for a to nonambulatory member of the armed forces, or a person honorably discharged, who has passed a weapons proficiency test. Passed the H, goes to the S.
HF 2523, SF 2328, DEER DEPREDATION PROGRAM. Expands the Farmer Advisory Committee, requires it to meet twice a year and adds horticulture as an industry impacted by deer. Depredation licenses may only be transferred via a number system for resident hunters to purchase from the LC system ($10 + $1 for the LC system + $1 for HUSH). Resident landowners are to be given one depredation license for each season ($1 for the LC system + $1 for HUSH). Shooting permits are allowed at any time outside of authorized hunting seasons. Antlers must be turned into conservation officers on shooting permits. Animals must be disposed of either by consumption or through the HUSB program. Producers are not required to fence. Kills must be reported to the DNR. A deer study committee is to assess & make recommendations 1) on the current status of the deer population, harvest, and population management programs; 2) on the economic impact and value of deer; 3) on the cost of damage by deer; 4) on the number & cost of vehicle/deer accidents; 5) review Midwestern states deer management challenges & programs; & 6) assess public opinion concerning the number of deer & the impact and value of Iowa’s deer. Eligible for H & S debate.
HF 2612 (formerly HSB 764), DNR OMNIBUS. COUNTY REAP COMMITTEE. Eliminates a requirement that a designee appointed by a chairperson must be a member of the board of supervisors, county conservation board, commissioners of the soil and water district, and board of directors of each school district in the county. Also eliminates the requirement that the designee from a city must be a member of the city council. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS. Adopts new standards to determine residency for recreation vehicle registrations and various DNR licenses. ATVs. Allows the DNR to adopt rules on riding and maintaining ATV trails. Allows civil penalties for damages caused in additional to criminal prohibitions against illegal operation of an ATVs and authorizes mitigation for damages to property. CONSTRUCTION ON STATE LAND/WATERS: Makes changes to the provisions allowing the DNR to regulate the construction on or over any state-owned land. TRAVEL ON ICE. Allows ATVs, off-road motorcycles, and off-road utility vehicles to travel over ice without a permit from the DNR. HUNTING ACCIDENTS. Makes it a simple misdemeanor to fail to report an accident involving a gun or a tree stand. RECIPROCITY. Includes Iowa land beyond a border river in provisions regarding reciprocity. HUNTER SAFETY. Allows a hunter safety certificate to be from another state & allows the DNR to charge for hunter safety courses. Allows hunter safety courses to be in an electronic format. HUNTERS. Strikes the requirement that a person who qualifies for a free license because the person is veteran who is disabled or was a POW must have served a minimum of 90 days in active service. Allows a totally blind person to hunt with a laser sight so long as the person is accompanied by a sighted person. Requires that the person's blindness be certified by medical evidence. Makes changes to hunter trespass provisions. Increases the fine for spreading an aquatic invasive species (Eurasian water milfoil), to $500. Eligible for H debate.
SF 310, FISH & GAME PENALTIES. Raises the fine for illegally taking a bobcat from $50 to $200. Changes the method for calculating damages for illegally taking fish. Present damages for any fish are $15 per fish. Provides that damages for taking a fish of a species with an established daily limit of greater than 25 remains$15 per fish. A fish with a daily limit of 25 or less is $50, with some exceptions including a paddlefish at $500, muskellunge at $500 plus $100 for each inch over 50 inches, and largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, flathead catfish, rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout, is $50 plus $50 per inch over a specified size, depending on the species. The penalties don’t apply to accidental spills (livestock, fertilizer, sewage) that are covered in another section of the Code. HNR subcom-Davitt, Lukan, Shomshor.
SF 591, FISH & TURTLE LICENSES. Establishes commercial fish and turtle licenses and fees. Prohibits a commercial license holder from buying fish or turtles and requires the licensee to be present when commercial gear is used. Strikes mussel licenses and sets a limit for how many mussels a fish and turtle license holder can have. Eligible for H debate.
SF 2230, NONRESIDENT DEER & TURKEY LICENSES FOR THE DISABLED. Authorizes the DNR to issue special nonresident turkey and any-sex deer licenses to nonresidents who have a severe physical disability or a terminal illness and are 18 and under. Requires a physician to sign a declaration that the applicant has a severe physical disability or a terminal illness. The licenses are in addition to the authorized number of nonresident turkey and deer licenses. The nonresident pay the applicable nonresident turkey or deer license fee and the wildlife habitat fee. Amended & passed S. In HNR subcom-Davitt, Baudler, Mertz. Age is raised to 21 & the individual does not need a hunter safety certificate.
SJR 2002, NATURAL RESOURCES TAX AMENDMENT. Proposes to amend the Iowa Constitution to restrict 0.375% of the sales tax for acquiring, managing and conserving lands and waters. Eligible for S debate.