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Senate panel reviews technical corrections to Fish & Wildlife point system; committee urges clearer language
Summary
Senate Natural Resources & Energy heard Fish & Wildlife staff explain H.298, a technical corrections bill adjusting the 10 VSA point system and fixing statute-to-rule cross-references. Members pressed for clearer drafting on vehicle-shooting subsections, license-duration language and provisional fee authority for new tags.
Candace Smith, general counsel for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee that H.298 is largely technical and intended to correct cross-references and rebalance enforcement-point assignments in 10 VSA §4502.
"This technical corrections bill is... really it's just technical for the most part. Very technical corrections," Smith said, describing moves that shift some violations between 5, 10 and 20 points and update rule section references.
Why it matters: 10 VSA §4502 underpins the department's enforcement regime; accumulated points can lead to loss of a hunting or fishing license for set periods. Smith said the bill moves some subsections (for example certain methods-of-take in deer and turkey rules) into different point categories to equalize enforcement across species and to reflect practical enforcement concerns, such as injured animals from incorrect…
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