SF 2145 (LSB 5791XS (1) 88)

SENATE FILE 2145

BY  EDLER

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the established season for hunting game birds on a preserve.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 484B.1, subsection 5, Code 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   5.  “Game birds” means pen-reared birds of the family gallinae order galliformes and pen-reared mallard ducks.
    Sec. 2.  Section 484B.10, subsection 1, Code 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  a.  A person shall not take a game bird or ungulate upon a hunting preserve, by shooting in any manner, except during the established season or as authorized by section 481A.56. The established season shall be September 1 through March 31 of the succeeding year, both dates inclusive. The owner of a hunting preserve shall establish the hunting season for nonnative, pen-reared ungulates on the hunting preserve.
   b.  A game bird hunting preserve operator may apply for a variance to extend the season date beyond March 31 for that preserve if the monthly precipitation is above average for the county in which the preserve is located for at least two months out of the months of January, February, and March of that season. The state climatologist established pursuant to section 159.5 shall provide official national weather service and community collaborative rain, hail and snow network data to the department to determine whether a variance to the established season shall be granted. The department shall not grant a variance to a game bird preserve that extends the season beyond April 15 of the year for which the variance is requested.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the established season for hunting game birds on a preserve.
   Under current law, a person shall not take a game bird on a hunting preserve except during the established hunting preserve season, which begins on September 1 and ends on March 31. The bill allows a game bird hunting preserve operator to apply for a variance to extend the season beyond March 31 if the monthly precipitation is above average for the county in which the preserve is located for at least two months out of the months of January, February, and March of that season. The bill requires the state climatologist to provide official national weather service and community collaborative rain, hail and snow network data to the department of natural resources to determine whether a variance to the established season shall be granted. The bill prohibits the department from granting a variance that extends the season beyond April 15 of the year for which the variance is requested.
   The bill also makes a change to the definition of “game bird” to reflect a recent reorganization of bird classification.