Amendment SSA1-SB359

LRBs0199/1

RNK:amn

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

SENATE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 359

December 8, 2015 - Offered by Senator Moulton.

SB359-SSA1,1,3 An Act to amend 29.331 (1) and 29.331 (5) (a); and to create 29.241 (5) of the statutes; relating to: exceptions to the prohibition against trapping without a license and requirements for tagging traps.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This substitute amendment allows a person to engage in trapping without obtaining a trapping license or a trapping education certificate of accomplishment if the person is trapping with a mentor.

Current law generally requires a person engaging in trapping to obtain a trapping license from the Department of Natural Resources. Current law also prohibits a person from obtaining a trapping license unless he or she holds a valid certificate of accomplishment indicating that he or she has successfully completed a trapper education course. This substitute amendment exempts a person from the requirement to hold a trapping license or a certificate of accomplishment if the person is trapping with a mentor who is providing trapping instruction to the person and the mentor, with certain exceptions, holds a trapping license and a valid certificate of accomplishment. If the mentee is under the age of 18, the mentor must be the parent or guardian of the mentee or must be a person authorized by the parent or guardian to serve as a mentor for the mentee. The substitute amendment also allows a mentee to take a trap or the contents of a trap belonging to a mentor if the mentee is acting under the direction of a mentor providing instruction to the mentee.

Current law requires that a trap used under a trapping license be tagged with with a metal stamp containing certain identifying information. This substitute amendment provides that if the trap is operated by more than one licensed trapper, the trap must be tagged with the metal stamp of each operator of the trap.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB359-SSA1,1 Section 1. 29.241 (5) of the statutes is created to read:

SB359-SSA1,2,2 29.241 (5) (a) In this section:

SB359-SSA1,2,3 1. "Mentor" means a person who provides trapping instruction to a mentee.

SB359-SSA1,2,4 2. "Mentee" means a person receiving trapping instruction from a mentor.

SB359-SSA1,2,9 (b) A mentee may engage in trapping without holding a trapping license or a certificate of accomplishment under s. 29.597 (5) if the mentee is trapping with a mentor who holds a trapping license and a valid certificate of accomplishment under s. 29.597 (5) or the mentee is trapping with a mentor who is authorized to trap without holding a trapping license as provided under s. 29.337.

SB359-SSA1,2,13 (c) No person may serve as a mentor under this subsection for a mentee who is under the age of 18 unless the mentor is the parent or guardian of the mentee or is a person who is authorized by the parent or guardian to serve as a mentor for the mentee.

SB359-SSA1,2 Section 2. 29.331 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB359-SSA1,3,2 29.331 (1) Tags. Each trap used under a trapping license shall be tagged with a metal tag stamped with the name and address or customer identification number of the operator of the trap. If a trap is operated by more than one licensed trapper, the trap shall be tagged with the metal stamp of each operator of the trap. All untagged traps shall be seized and confiscated, and the owner or person using or attending the untagged traps shall be punished as provided under s. 29.971 (4) and (12).

SB359-SSA1,3 Section 3. 29.331 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB359-SSA1,3,9 29.331 (5) (a) No person may molest, take or appropriate a trap belonging to another person when the trap is lawfully placed. No person may take or appropriate the animal or contents of any lawfully placed trap belonging to another person. This paragraph does not apply to a person taking a trap belonging to a mentor, or taking the contents of that trap, if the person is acting under the direction of a mentor providing instruction under s. 29.241 (5).

SB359-SSA1,3,10 (End)