This bill makes changes to the fish and game commission. It requires the governor to publish the name of a nominee for the commission in a newspaper and in the minutes of the council meeting. The executive director of the commission must also announce the nominee's name at the commission meeting and publish it on the department's website. The council cannot consent to an appointment until 30 days after the nominee's name is submitted. The bill also removes a provision allowing sporting clubs to form a county sporting club board and replaces it with a provision allowing participating organizations to nominate individuals for the commission. The bill also adds qualifications for commissioners, including being well-informed on fish and wildlife conservation, having a personal record free of fish and game law violations, and having at least 5 years of experience in certain fields. The bill also allows the governor to remove a commissioner for inefficiency, neglect of duty, misconduct in office, or suspension of a hunting, fishing, or trapping license. If a commissioner no longer meets the qualifications, their seat will be declared vacant. The bill takes effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 206:2, 206:2-a, 206:4