The bill revises laws concerning the release of wildlife location data and telemetry frequencies by the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks in Montana. It establishes that, with certain exceptions, the department is prohibited from releasing data related to hunted or trapped animals. Specifically, wildlife location data can only be released one year after the completion of a study or after the data has been collected, rather than the previous three-year period. Additionally, the department is allowed to share this data with research partners and other government agencies through data-sharing agreements, subject to the restrictions outlined in the bill.

Furthermore, the bill amends Section 2-6-1003 of the Montana Code Annotated to clarify that the department and any parties with whom it has shared information under a data-sharing agreement are also prohibited from releasing wildlife location data or telemetry frequencies of hunted or trapped animals. This amendment reinforces the protections around sensitive wildlife data while allowing for controlled sharing under specific circumstances. The bill aims to balance the need for data accessibility with the importance of wildlife conservation and public safety.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-6-1003
HB0264_1(1): 2-6-1003
HB0264_1(2): 2-6-1003
HB0264_1(3): 2-6-1003
HB0264_1(4): 2-6-1003
HB0264_1(5): 2-6-1003
HB0264_1(6): 2-6-1003
HB0264_1(7): 2-6-1003
HB0264_1: 2-6-1003
HB0264_2(1): 2-6-1003
HB0264_2(2): 2-6-1003
HB0264_2(3): 2-6-1003
HB0264_2(4): 2-6-1003
HB0264_2(5): 2-6-1003
HB0264_2(6): 2-6-1003
HB0264_2(7): 2-6-1003
HB0264_2: 2-6-1003