1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
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3 SENATE BILL 922 By: Stephens
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act to conditions of fish and wildlife; creating
7 the Oklahoma Hunters First Act; providing short
8 title; amending 29 O.S. 2021, Section 5-401, which
8 relates to the Wildlife Conservation Commission;
9 requiring a certain number of tags to be issued to
9 Oklahoma residents; providing for noncodification;
10 and providing an effective date.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
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15 codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
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16 This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Oklahoma
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17 Hunters First Act”.
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18 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 29 O.S. 2021, Section 5-401, is
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19 amended to read as follows:
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20 Section 5-401. A. The Wildlife Conservation Commission is
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21 authorized to declare an open season on wildlife in any counties or
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22 parts of counties of this state where, in the judgment of the
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23 Commission, such wildlife exists in sufficient quantity to warrant
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24 such open season, and such open season shall be declared by
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 1 Commission resolution not less than ten (10) days before the season
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2 is opened.
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3 B. The Commission may designate any two (2) consecutive days
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4 after the open season declared for hunting deer to be senior
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5 citizen’s hunting days. During those two (2) days only legal
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6 residents of Oklahoma who are sixty-four (64) years of age or older
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7 may hunt deer provided the person has a valid license as otherwise
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8 provided by law.
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9 C. The Commission is further authorized to declare an open
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10 season on mountain lions and black bears.
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11 D. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, the
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12 Commission is further authorized to prescribe rules necessary to the
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13 proper conduct and policing of such open season, the amount and kind
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14 of wildlife that may be taken, and the dates and time limits of such
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15 season.
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16 E. Any bowfishing season set for nongame fish by the Commission
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17 for the Upper Illinois River shall include the following:
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18 1. Upstream from the Horseshoe Bend boat ramp to where State
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19 Highway 51 crosses the Illinois River bowfishing is permitted from
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20 June 1 to March 31; and
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21 2. Upstream from where State Highway 51 crosses the Illinois
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22 River bowfishing is permitted from December 1 through March 31.
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23 F. The Commission is further authorized to require any person
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24 participating in such open season or hunting in open areas during
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 1 open season to procure, under rules prescribed by the Commission, a
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2 special permit or license to participate in such season or hunt in
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3 such areas during open season and to charge residents not to exceed
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4 Twenty Dollars ($20.00), nonresidents not to exceed Seventy-five
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5 Dollars ($75.00) and further providing that Five Dollars ($5.00) of
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6 this fee shall be set aside for compensation to Oklahoma surface
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7 holders participating in the Acres for Wildlife Program at a rate to
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8 be determined by the Wildlife Conservation Commission. No
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9 exemptions shall be permitted.
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10 G. Open seasons, closed seasons, bag limits, catch limits,
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11 possession limits and territorial limitations set forth in the
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12 statutes of this state, pertaining to wildlife of every sort, are
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13 hereby declared to be based on the existence of a normal population
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14 of such species of wildlife, compatible with and not damaging to the
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15 proper agricultural use of the lands of the state.
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16 H. Such seasons, catch limits, bag limits, possession limits
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17 and territorial limitations as set by statute shall prevail and be
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18 in full force and effect for each and every species of wildlife to
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19 which they pertain so long as the population or numbers of such
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20 wildlife species remain normal or are not damaging or endangering
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21 crops or proper agricultural use of the lands of the state.
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22 I. For seasons governed by a mechanism employed by the
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23 Commission to limit the number of tags issued for specific game in
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 1 Oklahoma, ninety-five percent (95%) of the total number of issued
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2 tags shall go to Oklahoma residents each year.
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3 J. The Commission in session, and after having given ten (10)
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4 days’ public notice of such meeting being called and the purpose of
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5 such meeting, the species of wildlife to be considered and the
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6 reasons therefor, shall have the right to determine if there does or
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7 does not exist a normal population of the wildlife species under
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8 consideration, which does or does not endanger the crops of the
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9 state or of any certain areas, or the agricultural use of the lands
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10 therein. In the event the consideration is other than statewide,
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11 the Commission shall meet at the most convenient place to the people
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12 of the area in the area being considered. All meetings shall be
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13 open to the public and proper records of those appearing and
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14 testifying shall be made. If the Commission, after hearing and
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15 after investigation, finds that the populations of the wildlife
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16 species under hearing are not normal or that they are not compatible
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17 to the agricultural use of the lands or are damaging or endangering
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18 the farm crops of the area, they shall, by administrative order,
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19 make the necessary changes by either extending, shortening, opening
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20 or closing such seasons, and change such bag limits, catch limits
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21 and possession limits, and regulate methods or devices for taking,
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22 killing or capturing of the wildlife species affected in any area or
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23 areas covered by the notice of meeting and hearing, except as
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24 otherwise set by the Legislature.
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 1 J. K. Such administrative order shall take effect after
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2 publication in at least one newspaper of general state circulation,
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3 or in a newspaper having circulation in the territory affected. A
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4 copy of all such orders shall, before publication, be filed with the
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5 Secretary of State, and such order shall not be construed as
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6 authorizing the Commission to change any penalty for violating any
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7 game law or regulation or change the amount of any license
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8 established by the Legislature.
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9 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
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11 59-1-688 MR 1/19/2023 10:47:47 AM
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