Senate Bill No. 63

Introduced By foster

By Request of the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks



A Bill for an Act entitled: "An Act providing a free fishing day for participants in approved angler educational events and activities; and providing an immediate effective date."



STATEMENT OF INTENT

A statement of intent is required for this bill because it grants rulemaking powers to the department of fish, wildlife, and parks to implement fishing license exceptions for approved angler educational events and activities. IN APPROVING ANGLER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL GIVE CONSIDERATION TO ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE FAMILY TOGETHERNESS. The legislature intends that the rules adopted by the department include:

(1) procedural requirements for applications;

(2) criteria for qualification of the instructors;

(3) requirements for a clinic's curriculum;

(4) criteria for the geographic limits of an approved clinic;

(5) reporting requirements A PROCEDURE FOR TRAINING VOLUNTEERS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO CONDUCT THE ANGLER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES; and

(6)(4) any other procedures and criteria reasonably necessary or desirable to administratively review and approve angler educational events and activities.



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Montana:



NEW SECTION. Section 1.  Fishing license exception for angler educational events and activities.

(1) A participant in any angler educational event or activity approved by the department may fish without the otherwise required fishing license while participating on the specified body of water during the event.

(2) To be eligible DURING THE 2-YEAR PERIOD FOLLOWING [THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT], an angler educational event or activity must be taught under the guidance of an employee of the department or by an instructor certified by the department as competent to instruct in the laws, techniques, and ethics of angling. AT THE END OF THE 2-YEAR PERIOD, ANGLER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE CONDUCTED AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (4).

(3) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.

(4) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP A STATEWIDE NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS TO CONDUCT THE ANGLER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR WHICH FISHING LICENSE EXCEPTIONS ARE PROVIDED. WITHIN 2 YEARS OF [THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT], AS MANY ANGLER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AS POSSIBLE APPROVED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED BY THE VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS CERTIFIED AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (2).



NEW SECTION. Section 2.  Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 87, chapter 2, part 8, and the provisions of Title 87, chapter 2, part 8, apply to [section 1].



NEW SECTION. Section 3.  Effective date. [This act] is AND HOUSE BILL NO. 289, CHAPTER 66, LAWS OF 1997, ARE effective on passage and approval.

-END-