House File 2038 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2038 BY COLLINS A BILL FOR An Act relating to deer depredation. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 5055YH (2) 91 sb/js
H.F. 2038 Section 1. Section 481C.2, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2026, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 1. The director of the department of natural resources shall 3 enter into a memorandum of agreement with the United States 4 department of agriculture, animal damage control division. 5 The wild animal depredation unit shall serve and act as the 6 liaison to the department for the producers in the state who 7 suffer crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage an 8 economic loss to agriculture, horticulture, or silviculture 9 operations due to wild animals. 10 2. The department shall issue depredation permits and deer 11 shooting permits to any landowner or tenant, as defined under 12 section 483A.24, subsection 2, who incurs crop, horticultural 13 product, tree, or nursery damage suffers an economic loss of 14 one thousand dollars or more to agriculture, horticulture, or 15 silviculture operations due to wild animals. The department 16 shall allow any conservation officer to issue permits pursuant 17 to this chapter. 18 Sec. 2. Section 481C.2A, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 19 2026, is amended to read as follows: 20 a. Deer shooting permits shall be available for issuance 21 to landowners or tenants, as defined under section 483A.24, 22 subsection 2, who incur crop, horticultural product, tree, 23 or nursery damage suffer an economic loss to agriculture, 24 horticulture, or silviculture operations as provided in section 25 481C.2 and shall be available for issuance for use on areas 26 where public safety may be an issue. 27 Sec. 3. Section 481C.2A, Code 2026, is amended by adding the 28 following new subsection: 29 NEW SUBSECTION . 8. Notwithstanding any other provision of 30 law to the contrary, any deer taken with a depredation license 31 or shooting permit issued under this chapter by the person to 32 whom the license or permit was issued may be disposed of by 33 composting. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -1- LSB 5055YH (2) 91 sb/js 1/ 2
H.F. 2038 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 This bill relates to deer depredation. Under current law, 3 eligibility for the wild animal depredation program requires a 4 producer to have suffered “crop, horticultural product, tree, 5 or nursery damage due to wild animals”. The bill changes this 6 eligibility requirement to cover a producer who has suffered 7 “economic loss to agriculture, horticulture, or silviculture 8 operations due to wild animals”. 9 The bill authorizes any conservation officer to issue 10 depredation permits or deer shooting permits (permits). In 11 addition to landowners as currently allowed, the bill allows 12 tenants to receive permits. 13 The bill authorizes a person to dispose of a deer by 14 composting if the deer was taken with a depredation license or 15 deer shooting permit. 16 -2- LSB 5055YH (2) 91 sb/js 2/ 2