House File 2112 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2112 BY JONES A BILL FOR An Act relating to the retrieval of wounded deer by use of a 1 registered unmanned aerial vehicle, and providing penalties. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5044YH (4) 91 sb/js
H.F. 2112 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 481A.56B Retrieval of wounded deer 1 by use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicle. 2 1. A person having a valid hunting license and a valid 3 deer hunting license who has wounded a deer while hunting or a 4 person with a valid hunting license accompanying the person who 5 has wounded a deer while hunting may use a registered unmanned 6 aerial vehicle to track and retrieve the wounded deer. The 7 person who has wounded a deer may dispatch the deer using a 8 legal method of take authorized by the person’s deer hunting 9 license consistent with all rules and regulations for that 10 season. The person who has wounded a deer shall not use that 11 method of take to hunt, wound, or kill any animal other than 12 the deer that the hunter is tracking, except in self-defense. 13 Using a registered unmanned aerial vehicle on private property 14 is permissible at any hour with consent of the property owner. 15 2. All unmanned aerial vehicles must be registered with 16 the department of natural resources and the federal aviation 17 administration. The commission shall implement a registration 18 procedure for unmanned aerial vehicles to be used in wounded 19 deer recovery. The registration requirements must comply 20 with the federal aviation administration regulations. The 21 commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 22 implement this section. 23 Sec. 2. Section 481A.125A, Code 2026, is amended by adding 24 the following new subsection: 25 NEW SUBSECTION . 5. This section does not apply to the use 26 of a registered unmanned aerial vehicles to retrieve a wounded 27 deer pursuant to section 481A.56B. 28 Sec. 3. Section 805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph q, Code 29 2026, is amended to read as follows: 30 q. For violations of section sections 481A.56A and 481A.56B , 31 the scheduled fine is two hundred fifty dollars. 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -1- LSB 5044YH (4) 91 sb/js 1/ 2
H.F. 2112 This bill allows a person with a valid hunting license and 1 deer hunting license who wounds a deer while hunting or a 2 person with a valid hunting license accompanying the person who 3 has wounded a deer while hunting to use a registered unmanned 4 aerial vehicle to track and retrieve the wounded deer. The 5 person who wounded the deer may dispatch the deer using a legal 6 method of take authorized by the person’s valid deer hunting 7 license. The bill allows a person to use a registered unmanned 8 aerial vehicle to track a wounded deer on private property at 9 any time with the consent of the property owner. 10 Persons must register the unmanned aerial vehicle for 11 wounded deer retrieval with the department of natural resources 12 and the federal aviation administration. The natural resource 13 commission (NRC) is directed to create a registration process 14 that complies with the federal aviation administration’s 15 regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill directs NRC 16 to adopt rules to implement the bill’s provisions. 17 A violation of the bill’s provisions is punishable by a 18 scheduled fine of $250. 19 -2- LSB 5044YH (4) 91 sb/js 2/ 2