House Bill 24, sponsored by Hemmer, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to wildlife resources. The bill primarily focuses on adjusting the penalties for violations of wildlife laws, increasing the maximum fines for several offenses to not exceed five hundred dollars ($500). This change applies to multiple sections, including those concerning the revocation of court orders and specific wildlife violations, where previous fines ranged from twenty-five dollars ($25) to one thousand dollars ($1,000). Additionally, the bill clarifies that certain arrests for wildlife violations do not require the use of a citation in lieu of continued custody.

The bill also modifies the classification of certain violations, establishing that if a wild animal or fish is removed from another's land, it constitutes a Class B misdemeanor, while leaving the offense of not removing it as a Class C misdemeanor. Furthermore, it stipulates that upon conviction, the court may revoke the offender's license, which must be surrendered. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to offenses committed on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 70-1-310, 70-2-101, 70-2-205(e)(1), 70-2-205, 70-2-213(c), 70-2-213, 70-2-214(c), 70-2-214, 70-2-215(d), 70-2-215, 70-2-221(e), 70-2-221, 70-4-106(a), 70-4-106, 70-5-112(c), 70-5-112, 70-6-101(b)(2), 70-6-101, 70-6-102, 70-6-104, 70-6-107(a), 70-6-107