AB851: Bill Text

LRB-1780/1

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1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE

1999 Assembly BILL 851

March 7, 2000 - Introduced by Representatives Johnsrud, Gunderson and Ott, by request of Department of Natural Resources. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AB851,2,13 An Act to repeal 29.304 (1) (b), 29.304 (2) (a) (title), 29.304 (2) (b) (title), 29.304 (3) (a) (title) and 29.304 (3) (b) (title); to renumber 29.304 (2) (b) 2., 29.304 (3) (a) (intro.), 29.304 (3) (b) (intro.) and 29.304 (3) (b) 2.; to renumber and amend 29.304 (2) (a), 29.304 (2) (b) (intro.), 29.304 (2) (b) 1., 29.304 (3) (a) 1., 29.304 (3) (a) 2., 29.304 (3) (b) 1., 29.304 (3) (b) 3., 29.934 (1) (a), 29.934 (1) (b), 29.934 (1) (c) 1., 29.934 (1) (c) 2., 29.934 (1) (c) 3., 29.934 (1) (d), 29.934 (1) (e), 29.934 (2) and 29.934 (3); to amend 20.370 (1) (Lq), 20.909 (1), 29.171 (4) (b) 5., 29.304 (1) (title), 29.304 (3) (title), 29.304 (5), 29.541 (1) (a) (intro.), 29.563 (11) (b) 1., 29.563 (12) (c) 2., 29.591 (4) (am), 29.591 (4) (ar), 29.593 (2), 29.934 (title), 120.13 (1) (bm), 120.13 (1) (c) 2m., 948.605 (2) (b) 4., 948.605 (3) (b) 2. and 968.20 (3); and to create 29.171 (4) (b) 6., 29.171 (4) (b) 7., 29.194 (4), 29.304 (3r) (title), 29.597 (7), 29.934 (1m) (title), 29.934 (2) (title), 29.934 (2) (c), 29.938 and 29.939 of the statutes; relating to: the use by the department of natural resources of seized or confiscated property for educational hunting, fishing, trapping and other conservation activities; the sale, disposal and use of wild animals and other items seized or confiscated or otherwise retained by the department of natural resources; hunting of antlerless deer by holders of certificates of accomplishment issued under the hunter education program and the bow hunter education program; certificates of hunter safety issued by provinces and other countries; possession of firearms and hunting with firearms by persons under 16 years of age; issuance of resident small game hunting licenses to certain nonresidents under 16 years of age; use of firearms in schools under the hunter education program; use of certain types of arrow tips on crossbows; proceeds received by the department of natural resources for skins of fur-bearing animals that are prepared as part of the course of instruction under the trapper education program; granting rule-making authority; and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Possession of firearms and hunting by minors

Possession by minors less than 12 years old

Under current law, a minor who is under 12 years old may not possess a firearm unless he or she is carrying the firearm to or from a class under the hunter education program while accompanied by his or her parent or guardian or unless the minor is using the firearm during the class. Under current law, a minor who is 12 or 13 years old may not possess a firearm unless he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or guardian or is enrolled in a hunter education program and is either carrying the firearm to or from the class or is using it during the class. The bill eliminates the specific restrictions concerning firearm possession for minors under 12 years old so that the current restrictions that apply only to minors who are 12 or 13 years old will apply to any minor 13 years old or younger. The bill makes no changes in current law concerning hunting by minors under 12 years old.

Persons accompanying minors

Current law requires minors who are 12, 13, 14 or 15 years old to be accompanied by a parent or guardian under certain circumstances when hunting or possessing a firearm. This bill allows the parent or guardian to designate another person who is at least 18 years old to accompany the minor under these circumstances.

Small game hunting licenses for minors less than 16 years old

Under current law, a nonresident seeking to hunt small game in this state must be issued a nonresident small game hunting license and must pay a fee that is higher than the fee that a resident pays for a comparable license. Under current law, certain nonresidents who are either in the armed forces and stationed in this state or who are students attending school in this state may be issued a resident small game hunting license. Under this bill, a nonresident who is less than 16 years old may be issued a resident small game hunting license if he or she resides in a state that grants this benefit to Wisconsin residents.

Possession of firearms in schools

Under current law, a pupil in a public school must be suspended if the school district administrator, principal or teacher finds that the pupil possessed a firearm while at school or at a school function; and the school board must commence a proceeding to expel the pupil for not less than one year. This bill provides an exemption for pupils who possess firearms in order to participate in the hunter education program.

Hunter education program and certificates

Hunter education program and certificates

Under current law, any person born on or after January 1, 1993, may not be issued a hunting license unless the person is issued a certificate stating that he or she has completed a hunter education program. Under current law, the department of natural resources (DNR) may recognize hunter education certificates from other states for the purpose of issuing hunting licenses. DNR also recognizes hunter education certificates from other states and provinces for purposes of allowing 14-year-olds and 15-year-olds to hunt and possess firearms. This bill allows DNR to recognize certificates from other states, provinces and countries for both of these purposes.

Under current law, a holder of a hunter education certificate may use the certificate in place of special permit, such as a hunter's choice permit, to take one antlerless deer. The bill also allows the certificate to be used in place of a bonus deer hunting permit to take such a deer.

Under current law, the hunter education certificate may be used in lieu of a special permit only during the deer hunting season immediately following the date or which the certificate was issued. A certificate holder who is under 12 years old during that season is not able to use the certificate as a permit during that season because he or she must be 12 years old to hunt. Under the bill, the certificate may be used during the deer hunting season immediately following the date on which the certificate holder is first eligible to apply for a deer hunting license.

Seized and confiscated wild animals and other items

This bill makes various changes to current law that applies to wild animals, their carcasses and other personal property that come into the possession of DNR, that are seized by DNR or that are confiscated by the courts. These changes include:

1. Allowing DNR to retain and use unclaimed, seized or confiscated property, for DNR's educational hunting, fishing, trapping and other conservation programs.

2. Allowing DNR to sell seized or confiscated fish and game to certain businesses licensed by DNR, such as bait dealers, wholesale fish dealers, fur dealers and taxidermists. Under current law, DNR may only sell these items to restaurants.

The bill also establishes a procedure for DNR to dispose of unclaimed property that comes into DNR's possession. The procedure is similar to the procedure used by cities, villages, towns and counties under current law; and it specifies methods of disposal and authorizes DNR to dispose of unclaimed property after holding the property for 30 days.

Miscellaneous provisions

Under current law, proceeds received by DNR from the sales of pelts that are prepared during instruction under the trapper education program established by DNR are deposited in the conservation fund. Under this bill, these proceeds are specifically credited to an appropriation to provide funds for the trapper education program.

The bill also requires certain types of arrow tips be used on crossbows, depending on the type of game being hunted.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

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

AB851, s. 1 Section 1. 20.370 (1) (Lq) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB851,4,7 20.370 (1) (Lq) Trapper education program. As a continuing appropriation, all moneys remitted to the department under s. 29.597 (3), an amount equal to the amount calculated under s. 29.331 (3m), all moneys received from the sale of skins processed as part of the trapper education program under s. 29.597 and all moneys received from fees collected under s. 29.563 (12) (c) 3. for the trapper education program under s. 29.597.

AB851, s. 2 Section 2. 20.909 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB851,5,6 20.909 (1) Lost or abandoned property. Except as provided in s. 170.12, any personal property lost or abandoned in any building or on any lands belonging to the state and unclaimed for a period of 60 days may be returned to the person finding the same or may be sold at private or public sale by the state agency having charge of the place where such personal property is found. All receipts from such sales, after deducting the necessary expenses of keeping such property and selling the same, shall be paid promptly into the state treasury and credited to the school fund. This subsection does not apply to personal property that is subject to s. 29.939.

AB851, s. 3 Section 3. 29.171 (4) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB851,5,9 29.171 (4) (b) 5. Shall be used with bolts or arrows of not less than 14 inches in length with a broadhead.

AB851, s. 4 Section 4. 29.171 (4) (b) 6. of the statutes is created to read:

AB851,5,12 29.171 (4) (b) 6. Shall be used with bolts or arrows that have broadhead tips when hunting bear or deer.

AB851, s. 5 Section 5. 29.171 (4) (b) 7. of the statutes is created to read:

AB851,5,15 29.171 (4) (b) 7. Shall be used with bolts or arrows that have broadhead tips or blunt tips when hunting game other than bear or deer.

AB851, s. 6 Section 6. 29.194 (4) of the statutes is created to read:

AB851,5,18 29.194 (4) Resident small game hunting licenses for nonresident minors. (a) In this subsection:

AB851,5,20 1. "Hunting license" means a license or permit that authorizes the hunting of small game with a firearm.

AB851,5,22 2. "Minor" means a person who is at least 12 years of age but less than 16 years of age.

AB851,5,24 (b) A small game hunting license shall be issued by the department to a person who resides in another state and who applies for this license if all of following apply:

AB851,5,25 1. The applicant is a minor.

AB851,6,4 2. The state in which the applicant resides issues hunting licenses to minors who are residents of this state and collects a fee for those hunting licenses that is the same as the fee collected from minors residing in that state for those hunting licenses.