House File 2626 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 554) Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to civil damages payable for unlawful taking of 2 certain animals and fish. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5452HV 81 5 av/je/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 481A.130, subsection 1, paragraphs d 1 2 and e, Code 2005, are amended to read as follows: 1 3 d. For eachfish,reptile, mussel, or amphibian, fifteen 1 4 dollars. 1 5 e. For each beaver, bobcat, mink, otter, red fox, gray 1 6 fox, or raccoon, two hundred dollars. 1 7 Sec. 2. Section 481A.130, subsection 1, Code 2005, is 1 8 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 1 9 NEW PARAGRAPH. i. For each fish, reimbursement shall be 1 10 as follows: 1 11 (1) For each fish of a species with an established daily 1 12 limit greater than twenty=five, fifteen dollars. 1 13 (2) For each fish of a species other than paddlefish, 1 14 muskellunge, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, 1 15 northern pike, channel catfish, flathead catfish, rainbow 1 16 trout, brown trout, or brook trout, with an established daily 1 17 limit of twenty=five or less, fifty dollars. 1 18 (3) For each paddlefish, five hundred dollars. 1 19 (4) For each muskellunge, five hundred dollars plus one 1 20 hundred dollars for each inch over fifty inches. 1 21 (5) For each largemouth bass, fifty dollars plus fifty 1 22 dollars for each inch over twenty=two inches. 1 23 (6) For each smallmouth bass, fifty dollars plus fifty 1 24 dollars for each inch over twenty inches. 1 25 (7) For each walleye, fifty dollars plus fifty dollars for 1 26 each inch over twenty=eight inches. 1 27 (8) For each northern pike, fifty dollars plus fifty 1 28 dollars for each inch over thirty=four inches. 1 29 (9) For each channel catfish, fifty dollars plus fifty 1 30 dollars for each inch over thirty inches. 1 31 (10) For each flathead catfish, fifty dollars plus fifty 1 32 dollars for each inch over twenty=eight inches. 1 33 (11) For each rainbow trout, fifty dollars plus fifty 1 34 dollars for each inch over eighteen inches. 1 35 (12) For each brown trout, fifty dollars plus fifty 2 1 dollars for each inch over eighteen inches. 2 2 (13) For each brook trout, fifty dollars plus fifty 2 3 dollars for each inch over fifteen inches. 2 4 Sec. 3. Section 481A.130, Code 2005, is amended by adding 2 5 the following new subsection: 2 6 NEW SUBSECTION. 4. This section does not apply to a 2 7 person who unintentionally takes, catches, kills, injures, 2 8 destroys, or possesses an animal specified in subsection 1, 2 9 paragraph "e", if the person so notifies the department as 2 10 provided by the commission by rules adopted pursuant to 2 11 chapter 17A. 2 12 EXPLANATION 2 13 This bill relates to the civil damages payable for the 2 14 unlawful taking of certain animals and fish. 2 15 The bill raises the fine for illegally taking a bobcat from 2 16 $50 to $200. 2 17 The bill changes the method for calculating damages for 2 18 illegally taking fish. Presently the damages for taking any 2 19 fish are $15 per fish. 2 20 The bill provides that the damages for taking a fish of a 2 21 species with an established daily limit of greater than 25 2 22 remains $15 per fish and provides that the damages for taking 2 23 a fish of a species with an established daily limit of 25 or 2 24 less is $50, with some exceptions. 2 25 The exceptions include a paddlefish which is $500, a 2 26 muskellunge which is $500 plus $100 for each inch over 50 2 27 inches, and a largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, 2 28 northern pike, channel catfish, flathead catfish, rainbow 2 29 trout, brown trout, and brook trout, which is $50 plus $50 per 2 30 inch over a specified size, depending on the species of the 2 31 fish. 2 32 The civil damage provisions of the bill are not applicable 2 33 to a person who unintentionally takes certain fur=bearing 2 34 animals if the person so notifies the department of natural 2 35 resources as provided by rules adopted pursuant to Code 3 1 chapter 17A. 3 2 LSB 5452HV 81 3 3 av:nh/je/5