HF 2180 (LSB 5229YH (4) 90)

HOUSE FILE 2180

BY  MOMMSEN

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the retrieval of wounded deer by use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicle, and providing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  481A.56B  Retrieval of wounded deer by use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicle.
   1.  A person having a valid hunting license and a valid deer hunting license who has wounded a deer while hunting may use a registered unmanned aerial vehicle to track and retrieve the wounded deer. The person may dispatch the deer using a legal method of take authorized by the person’s deer hunting license consistent with all rules and regulations for that season. A person shall not use that method of take to hunt, wound, or kill any animal other than the deer that the hunter is tracking, except in self-defense. Using a registered unmanned aerial vehicle on private property is permissible at any hour with consent of the property owner.
   2.  All unmanned aerial vehicles must be registered with the department of natural resources and the federal aviation administration. The commission shall implement a registration procedure for unmanned aerial vehicles to be used in wounded deer recovery. The registration requirements must comply with the federal aviation administration regulations. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement this section.
    Sec. 2.  Section 481A.125A, Code 2024, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  5.  This section does not apply to the use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicles to retrieve a wounded deer under section 481A.56B.
    Sec. 3.  Section 805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph r, Code 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   r.  For violations of section sections 481A.56A and 481A.56B, the scheduled fine is two hundred fifty dollars.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill allows a person with a valid hunting license and deer hunting license who wounds a deer while hunting to use a registered unmanned aerial vehicle to track and retrieve the wounded deer. The person may dispatch the deer using a legal method of take authorized by the person’s valid deer hunting license. The bill provides that a person may use a registered unmanned aerial vehicle to track a wounded deer on private property at any time with the consent of the property owner.
   Persons must register the unmanned aerial vehicle for wounded deer retrieval with the department of natural resources and the federal aviation administration. The natural resource commission (NRC) is directed to create a registration process that complies with the federal aviation administration’s regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill directs NRC to adopt rules to implement the bill’s provisions.
   A violation of the bill’s provisions is punishable by a scheduled fine of $250.