Senate committee advances bill to bar hunting and fishing licenses for unpaid Fish and Game fines

Senator Dan Foreman, a Republican from District 6, told the Idaho Senate Resources Committee that Senate Bill 1003 would make anyone with outstanding fines for violations of Idaho fish and game laws ineligible to apply for a hunting, fishing or trapping license, tag or permit until all fines are paid.

"This legislation amends ... to make any person with outstanding fines for violations of Idaho fish and game laws ineligible to apply for a hunting, fishing, or trapping license tag or permit until all fines are paid," Foreman said as he introduced the bill and asked the committee to send it to the Senate floor with a "due pass" recommendation.

The bill would treat an attempt by an ineligible person to buy or renew a license as a misdemeanor and add point-of-sale and app notices: vendor systems would display a pop-up directing the would-be purchaser to contact Idaho Fish and Game, and the same pop-up would appear in the Go Outdoors Idaho smartphone application if a blocked person tried to renew. The measure would not make ineligible those on approved time-payment plans who are fewer than 90 days in arrears, Foreman said.

Why it matters: Foreman told the committee there are unpaid Fish and Game fines totaling $282,622 in arrears, and he said tens of offenders who hold or held valid licenses were…