RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 443 (HB 684) 2024 Regular Session Riser
New law authorizes black bear hunting.
New law requires a basic hunting license, a bear hunting license, and a bear harvest permit
to hunt and take black bears.
New law authorizes the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to establish a lottery for bear
harvest permits and establishes a $50 fee for lottery applications.
New law further authorizes the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries to auction a
single bear harvest permit to the highest bidder.
New law requires that all revenue received from the sale of lottery applications and from the
auction of bear harvest permits be deposited in the black bear account in the Conservation
Fund.
Existing law prohibits the feeding of wild bears.
New law provides an exception to this prohibition for the baiting of bears by properly
licensed and permitted hunters.
New law establishes a $25 fee for resident bear hunting licenses and dedicates the revenue
from these licenses to the black bear account in the Conservation Fund.
Existing law creates a black bear account within the Conservation Fund.
Prior law restricted the use of funds in the black bear account to conservation, restoration,
and enhancement of black bear habitat.
New law removes the requirement that funds in the black bear account be used solely for
habitat and adds a permitted use for managing black bears, so the funds may be spent on
managing, conserving, restoring, and enhancing the black bear in the state.
Existing law creates a special prestige license plate for the La. black bear and directs that the
fees received through the sale of this plate be credited to the black bear account in the
Conservation Fund
Prior law required that the funds from the license plate could only be used for nongame
purposes.
New law removes the restriction on funds being used only for nongame purposes.
Effective August 1, 2024.
(Amends R.S. 47:463.45(C)(1) and R.S. 56:10(B)(9) and 291; Adds R.S. 56:103(D),
116.3(I), 3002(A)(6), and 3007(H))


Statutes affected:
HB684 Original: 47:45(C)(1), 56:10(B)(9)
HB684 Engrossed: 47:45(C)(1), 56:10(B)(9)
HB684 Enrolled: 47:45(C)(1), 56:10(B)(9)
HB684 Act : 47:45(C)(1), 56:10(B)(9)