Senate File 2344 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2344 BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2142) A BILL FOR An Act relating to deer hunting licenses available to 1 nonresident hunters. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5678SV (3) 89 js/rn

S.F. 2344 Section 1. Section 483A.8, subsection 3, paragraphs c and e, 1 Code 2022, are amended to read as follows: 2 c. The commission shall annually limit to six seven 3 thousand five hundred the number of nonresidents allowed to 4 have antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses. Of the six 5 seven thousand five hundred nonresident antlered or any sex 6 deer hunting licenses issued, not more than thirty-five percent 7 of the licenses shall be bow season licenses. After the six 8 seven thousand five hundred antlered or any sex nonresident 9 deer hunting licenses have been issued, all additional licenses 10 shall be issued for antlerless deer only. The commission shall 11 annually determine the number of nonresident antlerless deer 12 only deer hunting licenses that will be available for issuance. 13 e. The commission shall assign one preference point to a 14 nonresident whose application for a nonresident antlered or any 15 sex deer hunting license is denied due to limitations on the 16 number of nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses 17 available for issuance that year. An additional preference 18 point shall be assigned to that person each subsequent year 19 the person’s license application is denied for that reason. A 20 nonresident may purchase additional preference points pursuant 21 to rules adopted pursuant to section 483A.1. The first 22 department shall use a random draw process that is weighted 23 to favor applicants with the most preference points to assign 24 nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting license drawing 25 each year shall be made from the pool of applicants with the 26 most preference points and continue to pools of applicants 27 with successively fewer preference points licenses until 28 all available nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting 29 licenses have been issued. If a nonresident applicant receives 30 an antlered or any sex deer hunting license, all of the 31 applicant’s assigned preference points at that time shall be 32 removed. 33 Sec. 2. Section 483A.8, subsection 3, Code 2022, is amended 34 by adding the following new paragraph: 35 -1- LSB 5678SV (3) 89 js/rn 1/ 2

S.F. 2344 NEW PARAGRAPH . f. If a nonresident hunting deer while using 1 the antlerless deer only deer hunting license and tag required 2 to be purchased pursuant to paragraph “b” takes an antlerless 3 deer in a zone that is above the population goal determined 4 by the commission by rule, the commission shall assign one 5 preference point to the nonresident, which shall be in addition 6 to any preference points acquired pursuant to paragraph “e” . 7 The department shall determine a method for verifying a harvest 8 pursuant to this paragraph. 9 EXPLANATION 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 11 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 12 This bill relates to deer hunting licenses available to 13 nonresident hunters. 14 Currently, the natural resource commission (NRC) issues 15 up to 6,000 antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses to 16 nonresidents. The bill increases that amount to 7,500. The 17 bill requires NRC to use a random draw process that is weighted 18 to favor applicants with the most preference points to assign 19 nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses until all 20 available nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses 21 have been issued. 22 The bill provides that when a nonresident uses the 23 antlerless deer only deer hunting license and tag that the 24 nonresident is required to purchase with an antlered or any sex 25 deer hunting license to take an antlerless deer in a zone that 26 is above the population goal determined by NRC, then NRC will 27 assign one preference point to the nonresident, which shall 28 be in addition to any preference points purchased or acquired 29 after failing to obtain an antlered or any sex deer hunting 30 license from a drawing. The department of natural resources 31 shall determine a method for verifying a harvest in a zone that 32 is above the population goal. 33 -2- LSB 5678SV (3) 89 js/rn 2/ 2