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Judiciary Committee weighs H.230 changes to Fish and Wildlife enforcement, shifts many violations to civil process
Summary
The Judiciary Committee reviewed H.230, which would reclassify many fish and wildlife violations as civil "minor violations" handled in the judicial bureau while keeping serious "big game" and warrant/forfeiture cases in criminal court. Judge Tom Zona provided drafting advice on objective wording for warrant and evidence criteria.
The Judiciary Committee on April 8, 2025 reviewed H.230, an act proposing multiple changes to the management and enforcement of fish and wildlife laws, including a shift of many violations from the criminal division to civil enforcement in the judicial bureau.
The bill would retain criminal prosecution for a defined set of serious offenses — described in the draft as "big game" violations (taking, possessing, transporting, buying or selling big game such as deer, moose, bear, turkey and anadromous salmon), threatened and endangered species violations, offenses committed during license suspensions, sales of protected wildlife parts, or illegal commercial importation or possession of wild animals. Other fish and wildlife violations would be charged as "minor violations" in the judicial bureau unless certain objective…
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