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Senate amends wildlife license agent penalties, raises thresholds and advances bill
Summary
Senate amended House Bill 80 to increase certain monetary thresholds and add penalties that can elevate withholding license funds to a felony if an agent retains money over a month; amended bill passed to third reading.
Senators amended and advanced House Bill 80, which updates penalties and procedures for wildlife license agents, to the third-reading calendar on Feb. 17.
Sponsor Senator Hickman explained two floor amendments that increased monetary penalty ranges (for example changing a $5,000 threshold to $10,000) and clarified that an agent who sells licenses but fails to remit funds to the state within a one-month period could be guilty of a third-degree felony for withholding state funds. "That's really what the bill does," Hickman said, adding that raising the dollar amount aligns thresholds with third-degree felony classification.
Floor votes adopted the amendments and the bill, as amended, was carried to the third-reading calendar with recorded aye votes on the roll call. Sponsors said the changes address small operational problems in license issuance (for example undated short-term licenses) and establish stiffer penalties to deter agents who withhold funds.
Next steps: HB 80 as amended will proceed to the third-reading calendar for final Senate consideration.
