House Study Bill 216 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE _____
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
NATURAL RESOURCES BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON BACON)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the established season for hunting game
2 birds on a preserve, and making penalties applicable.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 484B.1, subsection 5, Code 2021, is
2 amended to read as follows:
3 5. “Game birds” means pen-reared birds of the family
4 gallinae order galliformes and pen-reared mallard ducks.
5 Sec. 2. Section 484B.10, subsection 1, Code 2021, is amended
6 to read as follows:
7 1. a. A person shall not take a game bird or ungulate upon
8 a hunting preserve, by shooting in any manner, except during
9 the established season or as authorized by section 481A.56.
10 The established season shall be September 1 through March 31
11 of the succeeding year, both dates inclusive. The owner of
12 a hunting preserve shall establish the hunting season for
13 nonnative, pen-reared ungulates on the hunting preserve.
14 b. A game bird hunting preserve operator may apply for a
15 variance to extend the season date beyond March 31 for that
16 preserve if the monthly precipitation is above average for
17 the county in which the preserve is located for at least two
18 months out of the months of January, February, and March of
19 that season. The state climatologist established pursuant to
20 section 159.5 shall provide official national weather service
21 and community collaborative rain, hail and snow network data
22 to the department to determine whether a variance to the
23 established season shall be granted. The department shall
24 not grant a variance to a game bird preserve that extends the
25 season beyond April 15 of the year for which the variance is
26 requested. A person hunting on a game bird hunting preserve on
27 a date after March 31 pursuant to an extension granted under
28 this paragraph shall only hunt for and take chukars, quail, or
29 rooster pheasants.
30 EXPLANATION
31 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
32 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
33 This bill relates to the established season for hunting game
34 birds on a preserve.
35 Under current law, a person shall not take a game bird on a
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1 hunting preserve except during the established hunting preserve
2 season, which begins on September 1 and ends on March 31. The
3 bill allows a game bird hunting preserve operator to apply for
4 a variance to extend the season beyond March 31 if the monthly
5 precipitation is above average for the county in which the
6 preserve is located for at least two months out of the months
7 of January, February, and March of that season. The bill
8 requires the state climatologist to provide official national
9 weather service and community collaborative rain, hail and
10 snow network data to the department of natural resources to
11 determine whether a variance to the established season shall
12 be granted. The bill prohibits the department from granting a
13 variance that extends the season beyond April 15 of the year
14 for which the variance is requested. A person hunting on a
15 game bird hunting preserve on a date after March 31 pursuant to
16 an extension granted pursuant to the bill shall only hunt for
17 and take chukars, quail, or rooster pheasants.
18 The bill also makes a change to the definition of “game bird”
19 to reflect a recent reorganization of bird classification.
20 A person who violates the bill is guilty of a simple
21 misdemeanor. A simple misdemeanor is punishable by confinement
22 for no more than 30 days and a fine of at least $105 but not
23 more than $855.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 484B.1