2025 25LSO-0215
STATE OF WYOMING Working Draft
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DRAFT ONLY
NOT APPROVED FOR
INTRODUCTION
HOUSE BILL NO.
Fishing outfitters and guides-registration of fishing boats.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Byron
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to game and fish; authorizing the Wyoming
2 game and fish commission to regulate commercially guided
3 fishing boats; providing for registration of commercially
4 guided fishing boats, vehicles and trailers operated by
5 outfitters and professional fishing guides; providing
6 definitions; providing rulemaking authority; and providing
7 for an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
10
11 Section 1. W.S. 23-3-206 is created to read:
12
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1 23-3-206. Commercially guided fishing boats;
2 regulatory authority; definitions.
3
4 (a) To protect the quality of the fishing experience,
5 the fishery and other aquatic resources and species in this
6 state, the commission may set limits on or otherwise
7 regulate the number of commercially guided fishing boats
8 allowed to launch into or use any river or lake or section
9 thereof in this state.
10
11 (b) In the event that the commission sets limits on
12 or otherwise regulate the number of commercially guided
13 fishing boats allowed to launch into or use any river or
14 lake or section thereof, the commission shall promulgate
15 rules governing the registration and means of tracking the
16 number of commercially guided fishing boats launching into
17 or using any river or lake or section thereof. In addition
18 to satisfying the requirements of the Wyoming
19 Administrative Procedure Act, the commission shall hold
20 public meetings in each community in which its rules apply.
21 The rules shall require registration and payment of an
22 annual fee for each commercially guided fishing boat and
23 vehicle or trailer that is operated by an outfitter or
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1 professional fishing guide in any river or lake or section
2 thereof for which the commission has set limits or other
3 regulations. A registration sticker shall be displayed on
4 each commercially guided fishing boat and on each vehicle
5 or trailer registered under this subsection.
6
7 ***********************************************************
8 *******************
9 STAFF COMMENT
10
11 Subsection (b), beginning on the previous page, requires
12 that when the Game and Fish Commission implements rules to
13 regulate commercially guided fishing boats, the Commission
14 must hold public meetings in each community in which the
15 rules will apply. The Working Group may wish to consider
16 two points on this requirement, first by considering
17 whether to clarify at what stage in the rules process that
18 the Commission must hold the meetings. Second, the Working
19 Group may wish to consider the administrative impact of
20 this requirement and whether meetings should be held in the
21 county or counties that would be impacted by the
22 promulgation of rules, in keeping with the policy
23 preferences of this bill draft.
24
25 ***********************************************************
26 *******************
27
28 (c) As used in this section:
29
30 (i) "Commercially guided fishing boat" means a
31 fishing boat that is operated by an outfitter or
32 professional fishing guide to provide fishing guide
33 services for financial gain;
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1
2 (ii) "Fishing guide services" means for hire or
3 remuneration, accompanying and providing assistance to a
4 person on a river or lake or section thereof for the
5 purposes of fishing;
6
7 (iii) "Operate" means to navigate or otherwise
8 use a commercially guided fishing boat;
9
10 (iv) "Outfitter" or "professional fishing guide"
11 means a person who advertises or holds himself out to the
12 public for hire for the purpose of financial gain to
13 provide fishing guide services, excluding any person who
14 furnishes fishing equipment or boats to a person for
15 exclusively personal and temporary use. "Outfitter" or
16 "professional fishing guide" includes any person requiring
17 the payment of fees or remuneration for providing personal
18 services on a river or lake or section thereof for the
19 purposes of fishing.
20
21 Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2025.
22
23 (END)
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