The bill mandates the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to develop and periodically revise a black bear management plan in collaboration with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection. This plan aims to ensure public safety, protect property, and maintain a sustainable black bear population in the state. Key components of the plan include assessing the current and desired future black bear population, strategies for minimizing human-bear conflicts, public education initiatives, nonlethal deterrence methods, potential population control measures, and protocols for managing bears that pose imminent threats. The DEEP is required to submit the plan to the relevant legislative committees by July 1, 2026, and any revisions must be reported within 30 days of their completion.

Additionally, the bill allows the DEEP commissioner to request the Governor to issue an executive order for appropriate population control measures if the black bear population is deemed a threat to public safety. The new legal language introduced in this bill includes provisions for the management plan and the authority for the commissioner to seek executive action, while no existing legal language is deleted. The fiscal impact of this bill is expected to be negligible, as DEEP has the necessary resources to implement the plan.