Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
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                  2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 35
    February 10, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives MURSAU, EDMING, ANDRACA,
        BEHNKE, DONOVAN, KITCHENS, KNODL, MAGNAFICI, MAXEY, OHNSTAD, ROZAR,
        SINICKI, SPIROS, SUBECK, TUSLER and JACOBSON, cosponsored by Senators
        JAMES, COWLES, FELZKOWSKI, MARKLEIN and TAYLOR. Referred to Committee on
        Sporting Heritage.
1   AN ACT       to amend 29.197 (3) of the statutes; relating to: modifying the
2        designation of a free fishing weekend in January.
                      Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
          This bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to designate the full
    weekend prior to the third Monday in January as a weekend on which DNR waives
    license and fee requirements to fish.
          Under current law, DNR issues approvals that authorize the hunting, fishing,
    or trapping of specified wild animals. With limited exceptions, no person may fish
    in the waters of the state without the applicable approvals issued by DNR. However,
    DNR is required to designate two weekends per year during which DNR waives the
    fishing approval requirement. Current law requires that one of these weekends be
    the third full weekend in January.
          The bill modifies this requirement to instead require DNR to waive the fishing
    approval requirements during the full weekend prior to the third Monday in
    January, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
    The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
        enact as follows:
3        SECTION 1. 29.197 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
4        29.197 (3) WEEKEND     EVENTS.   In addition to any special event or program
5   sponsored under sub. (2), the department shall, by rule, designate 2 special event
    2023 - 2024 Legislature                -2-                                    LRB-0636/1
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    ASSEMBLY BILL 35                                                              SECTION 1
1   weekends per year during which it shall waive the requirement that persons be
2   issued fishing licenses and pay the applicable fees in order to fish in the waters of this
3   state. The department shall designate the 3rd full weekend prior to the 3rd Monday
4   in January as one of the special event weekends. The department shall, by rule,
5   designate to which inland or outlying waters these waivers shall apply.
6                                          (END)
Statutes affected: 
Bill Text: 29.197(3), 29.197