Senate Study Bill 1093 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT BILL BY CHAIRPERSON SWEENEY) A BILL FOR An Act relating to fur-bearing animals, including the treatment 1 of beaver dams, identification for traps and snares, and 2 maximum fur dealer license fees. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2383XC (2) 91 sb/js
S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 481A.90, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. This section does not prohibit the owner or owner’s agent 3 from destroying a den or breaching or altering a beaver dam to 4 protect the owner’s property. 5 Sec. 2. Section 481A.92, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 6 to read as follows: 7 1. A person shall not use or attempt to use colony traps in 8 taking, capturing, trapping, or killing any game or fur-bearing 9 animals except muskrats as determined by rule of the 10 commission. Box traps capable of capturing more than one game 11 or fur-bearing animal at each setting are prohibited. A valid 12 hunting license is required for box trapping cottontail rabbits 13 and squirrels. All traps and snares used for the taking of 14 fur-bearing animals shall have a metal tag attached plainly 15 labeled with the user’s department-issued identification number 16 or name and address. All traps and snares, except those which 17 that are placed entirely under water, shall be checked at 18 least once every twenty-four hours. Officers appointed by the 19 department may confiscate such traps and snares found in use 20 that are not properly labeled or checked. 21 Sec. 3. Section 481A.95, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 22 by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the 23 following: 24 2. Fees for a license issued under this section shall 25 be no more than fifty dollars annually for a resident or a 26 nonresident fur dealer. 27 EXPLANATION 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 29 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 30 This bill relates to fur-bearing animals, including the 31 treatment of beaver dams, identification for traps and snares, 32 and maximum fur dealer license fees. 33 Under current law, a person is generally prohibited from 34 disturbing, in any manner, any den, lodge, or house of a 35 -1- LSB 2383XC (2) 91 sb/js 1/ 2
S.F. _____ fur-bearing animal or beaver dam except with written permission 1 of an officer appointed by the director. The bill allows a 2 property owner or the property owner’s agent to breach or alter 3 a beaver dam to protect the person’s property. 4 Under current law, all traps and snares used for the taking 5 of fur-bearing animals require a metal tag attached plainly 6 labeled with the user’s name and address. The bill allows the 7 user the option of labeling the trap or snare with the user’s 8 department-issued identification number instead of the user’s 9 name and address. 10 The bill creates a maximum fur dealer license fee of $50, 11 regardless of resident status. Under current administrative 12 rules, a resident fur dealer license costs $264 annually and 13 a nonresident fur dealer license costs $586.50 annually or 14 $292.50 for one day and one location. Current law allows 15 residents from another state to purchase a fur dealer license 16 for the set fee unless that state has reciprocity with Iowa, in 17 which case the nonresident shall pay the reciprocity fee amount 18 that is less than the nonresident license fee but more than the 19 Iowa resident license fee. 20 -2- LSB 2383XC (2) 91 sb/js 2/ 2