Senate File 397
SENATE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
(SUCCESSOR TO SF 40)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the issuance of hunting licenses for
2 antlerless deer, providing for the disposition of harvested
3 deer meat to public institutions, requiring a report, and
4 providing a penalty.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
6 SF 397
7 av/cc/26
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 483A.24A HARVESTED DEER.
1 2 1. INTENT. It is the intent of the general assembly in
1 3 enacting this section, to express its concern to the natural
1 4 resource commission about the burgeoning deer population in
1 5 this state, by requiring the natural resource commission to
1 6 make additional antlerless deer hunting licenses available to
1 7 encourage hunters in this state to assist the commission in
1 8 bringing the state's deer population under control.
1 9 2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this section:
1 10 a. "Department of corrections" means the Iowa department
1 11 of corrections.
1 12 b. "Establishment" means an establishment as defined in
1 13 section 189A.2 where animals or poultry are prepared for food
1 14 purposes or where wild deer may be processed or dressed for
1 15 human consumption.
1 16 c. "Public institution" means a state institution listed
1 17 under section 904.102, subsections 1 through 10, that is
1 18 administered by the department of corrections.
1 19 3. The natural resource commission shall provide, by rule,
1 20 for the distribution of antlerless deer hunting licenses,
1 21 annually to resident hunters and to applicants qualified under
1 22 section 483A.24. The licenses shall be in addition to deer
1 23 hunting licenses otherwise allocated in this chapter to
1 24 resident hunters and applicants qualified under section
1 25 483A.24 and shall be equivalent to the least restrictive
1 26 license issued pursuant to section 481A.38. Pursuant to this
1 27 section, the department shall make available for issuance at
1 28 least an additional eighteen thousand antlerless deer hunting
1 29 licenses for resident hunters for 2003=2004 antlerless deer
1 30 hunting seasons than were available for the 2002=2003
1 31 antlerless deer hunting seasons.
1 32 4. A resident hunter or an applicant qualified under
1 33 section 483A.24, who receives an antlerless deer hunting
1 34 license under this section may deliver the deer harvested with
1 35 the license to an establishment designated by the department
2 1 of corrections for processing, packaging, and delivery to
2 2 locations designated by the department of corrections. Each
2 3 antlerless deer hunting license issued under this section
2 4 shall be accompanied by a list of establishments that will
2 5 accept deer harvested with the license.
2 6 5. Each resident hunter or applicant qualified under
2 7 section 483A.24 shall be otherwise qualified to hunt deer in
2 8 this state. A wildlife habitat fee shall not be required.
2 9 The commission shall establish, by rules adopted pursuant to
2 10 chapter 17A, the procedures for allocating the antlerless deer
2 11 hunting licenses.
2 12 6. The department of corrections, may, in cooperation with
2 13 the commission, contract with one or more establishments to
2 14 receive, process, package, and deliver the harvested deer meat
2 15 to the public institutions in the manner specified by the
2 16 department of corrections and at a cost to the department of
2 17 corrections that is competitive with the cost of obtaining
2 18 similar meat products in the private sector.
2 19 7. A person violating a provision of this section or a
2 20 rule adopted pursuant to this section is guilty of a simple
2 21 misdemeanor punishable as a scheduled violation as provided in
2 22 section 483A.42.
2 23 Sec. 2. REPORT. The natural resource commission, in
2 24 consultation with the department of corrections, shall
2 25 evaluate the results of the deer harvesting program created in
2 26 section 483A.24A, and shall make recommendations suggesting
2 27 improvements to the program and whether the program should be
2 28 expanded to allow receipt of harvested deer meat by other
2 29 governmental agencies and nonprofit entities. The natural
2 30 resource commission and the department of corrections shall
2 31 file a joint report containing their findings and
2 32 recommendations with the legislative service bureau by
2 33 February 1, 2004, for distribution to the general assembly.
2 34 SF 397
2 35 av/cc/26