The bill amends Section 20-16-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 20-16 entitled "Furbearing Animals." It introduces a new provision that mandates the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to promulgate, by rule, a list of "furbearers" for the purposes of the chapter. This change is indicated by the insertion of new legal language in subsection (c). The bill also includes the deletion of existing legal language in subsection (b), which previously listed specific furbearing mammals that are protected under the law, including various families and genera of carnivores, rodents, marsupials, rabbits, and hares.

The act specifies that no person shall hunt, pursue, shoot, or trap the furbearing mammals listed, except in accordance with the rules and regulations governing seasons, bag limits, and methods of taking adopted by the director pursuant to § 20-1-12. The act will take effect immediately upon passage, while the deletion of subsection (b) will take effect on January 15, 2025. The legislative council explains that the act removes the current list of furbearing mammals from the law and shifts the responsibility to the DEM to establish and maintain an official list of furbearers.

Statutes affected:
2297  as amended: 20-16-1
2297: 20-16-1