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Committee advances amended bill raising penalty for certain wildlife trespass offenses to Class B misdemeanor
Summary
House Bill 24, as amended, was approved by the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee and will move to Calendar and Rules with a 20-7 vote. The amendment narrows the scope of increased penalties to trespassing-related wildlife offenses and sets a maximum fine of $500 under the revised classification.
Representative Hammer presented House Bill 24 and the committee adopted an amendment (drafting code 8033) before debate and final passage.
Representative Henry, describing the amendment, said it "moves it down to enhancing the penalty from a class C misdemeanor to a class B misdemeanor offense punishable only by fine not to exceed $500 for hunting, taking, chasing, trapping or killing any wild animal." He added that the amendment focuses the change on trespassing and still allows for citations and warnings.
Representative Henry also reminded members that the bill had previously been discussed in a prior committee hearing. The amendment narrows the earlier, broader fine changes so the update now applies chiefly to trespass-related conduct tied to wildlife offenses, according to the committee discussion.
After brief discussion the committee voted; the clerk recorded 20 ayes and 7 nos. The chair announced that House Bill 24 "moves on to calendar and rules." No mover or seconder names were recorded on the audio transcript provided.
The committee did not identify a statutory citation for the criminal classifications in the discussion; the transcript records the misdemeanor-class shift and the maximum fine but does not list the controlling code section.
