1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
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3 SENATE BILL 648 By: Bergstrom
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to feral swine; amending 2 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 6-604, which relates to removal of feral
8 swine; requiring permit for use on public property;
8 amending 29 O.S. 2021, Section 4-135, as amended by
9 Section 1, Chapter 171, O.S.L. 2022 (29 O.S. Supp.
9 2022, Section 4-135), which relates to permits to
10 control nuisance or damage by wildlife; removing
10 provision for night hunting and requirement to prove
11 certain exemption; and providing an effective date.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 2 O.S. 2021, Section 6-604, is
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16 amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 6-604. A. Except as otherwise specified in the Feral
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18 Swine Control Act, any person with permission of the owner may
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19 remove feral swine from private or public property during daylight
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20 hours.
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21 B. Any person who intends to kill or attempt to kill feral
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22 swine at night on public property shall obtain a permit issued by
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23 the Department of Wildlife Conservation pursuant to Section 4-135 of
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24 Title 29 of the Oklahoma Statutes and promulgated rules.
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 1 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 29 O.S. 2021, Section 4-135, as
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2 amended by Section 1, Chapter 171, O.S.L. 2022 (29 O.S. Supp. 2022,
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3 Section 4-135), is amended to read as follows:
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4 Section 4-135. A. The Department of Wildlife Conservation is
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5 authorized to issue permits to landowners, agricultural lessees, or
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6 their designated agents with written permission of the landowner or
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7 agricultural lessee and to any entity of state, county, or local
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8 government to control nuisance or damage by any species of wildlife
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9 including, but not limited to, beaver, coyote, deer, bobcat, raccoon
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10 and crow under rules promulgated by the Oklahoma Wildlife
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11 Conservation Commission. The permits may be issued without
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12 limitation by statewide season regulations, bag limits or methods of
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13 taking. A permitted landowner, agricultural lessee or a designated
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14 agent with written permission of the landowner or agricultural
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15 lessee may, with a valid permit issued pursuant to this section,
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16 control the wildlife specified in this subsection and feral swine at
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17 night to protect marketable agricultural crops, livestock or
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18 processed feed, seed or other materials used in the production of an
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19 agricultural commodity.
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20 B. Except as otherwise specified in this subsection, the permit
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21 to hunt at night shall be valid for a period of up to one (1) year
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22 from the date the permit was issued. Landowners or agricultural
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23 lessees with a valid permit shall be required to have a current
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24 agricultural exemption permit issued by the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
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 1 C. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5-203.1 of this
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2 title, a landowner, agricultural lessee, or designated agent with
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3 written permission of the landowner and with a valid permit may use
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4 a headlight carried on the person while hunting at night. Nothing
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5 in this section shall authorize the use of a headlight mounted on a
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6 vehicle or the use of a headlight from a public roadway.
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7 D. Any person who has been convicted of, or pled guilty to, a
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8 violation of Section 5-203.1 or Section 5-411 of this title within
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9 the previous three (3) years shall not be eligible to receive a
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10 permit pursuant to this section. The permit can be issued by the
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11 local game warden in the county for which the permit is to be used
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12 or by the Law Enforcement Division of the Department of Wildlife
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13 Conservation.
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14 E. It shall be lawful for any private landowner or designated
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15 employee of the landowner or lessee to have a chamber-loaded firearm
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16 on property owned by the landowner, and to use the firearm for the
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17 purpose of controlling nuisance or damage by any wildlife or feral
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18 swine. Nothing in this section shall authorize any convicted felon
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19 to carry a firearm.
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20 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
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22 59-1-944 MR 1/18/2023 10:01:28 AM
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