Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill to increase penalties for intentional feeding of bears
Summary
At the committee, Representative Ashley said House Bill 2215 would let TWRA partner with local law enforcement to enforce bear‑feeding prohibitions and increase the violation from a Class C to a Class B misdemeanor, raising the fine from $50 to $250; the bill moved forward 27–0.
Representative Ashley told the Finance, Ways, and Means committee that House Bill 2215 was requested by Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to help address intentional feeding of bears. The bill, he said, would authorize the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to enter into agreements with local law enforcement for that limited enforcement purpose and increase penalties from a Class C to a Class B misdemeanor, raising the fine from $50 to $250.
After a brief sponsor description and a call for the question, the committee advanced the bill to Calendar and Rules by voice and roll call; the clerk recorded 27 ayes and 0 nos. "It's what this bill does," Representative Ashley said during his description.
The motion record in the transcript shows the committee forwarding the bill to Calendar and Rules; no amendments or roll‑call breakdown of individual names were recorded in the excerpt.
