N.D. OUTDOORS LEGISLATION: Baiting bill, Nonresident hunting bills etc.

Here's a look at the status of hunting- and fishing-related bills in the North Dakota Legislature as of Friday:

Active Bills

HB 1017 - (Appropriations Committee at the request of the Governor) - Appropriates $59,566,703 for the Game and Fish Department for the biennium beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2011. House Appropriations Committee heard 1/14, no action taken.

HB 1045 - (Legislative Council) - Would continue the prohibition of severance of hunting rights from the surface estate. Passed House 69-21. Bill in Senate.

HB 1110 - (Agriculture Committee) - Would prohibit an individual from engaging, sponsoring, assisting or profiting from the release, hunting or trapping of feral swine. House Agriculture Committee amended to allow a property owner or tenant the ability to shoot a feral swine if posing a risk to them or their property. If and when this occurs, that person is required to notify the board within 24 hours. The amendment also decreases the penalty. Recommended do-pass 9-1 as amended.

HB 1125 - (Natural Resources Committee at the request of the Agriculture Commissioner) - Clarifies the current law permitting federal Wildlife Services to control furbearers and big game in cooperation with the North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner and the Game and Fish Director. Passed House 90-0. Bill in Senate.

HB 1167 - (Rep's Delzer, Nottestad, Weiler; Sen's Freborg, Fischer) - Would allow 13 year olds to participate in the youth deer season if they turn 14 by the opening day of the November deer gun season. Currently, youth must be 14 by the opening day of the youth hunting season. Passed House 92-0. Bill in Senate.

HB 1188 - (Rep's Porter, Damschen, DeKrey, Hanson; Sen's Hogue, Lyson) - Increases the penalty for some individuals with multiple Game and Fish offenses. Passed House 92-2. Bill in Senate.

HB 1210 - (Rep's Hanson, Gruchalla, Mueller, Porter; Sen's Fischer, Freborg) - Would prohibit the use of state and federal funds to regulate any enclosed big game or farmed elk facilities. House Agriculture Committee heard 1/23, no action taken.

HB 1216 - (Rep's Kerzman, DeKrey, Froelich; Senator Lyson) - Would change the structure of the nonresident small game license from two 7-day periods to three 5-day periods. Passed House 53-40. Bill in Senate.

HB 1217 - (Rep's Kerzman, Froelich, Hanson, Porter; Sen's Krauter, Lyson, Wanzek) - Would make it illegal to hunt unharvested oilseed crops (sunflower, soybeans, safflower, rapeseed or canola, crambe and flax) without permission of the owner or tenant. Passed House 88-0. Bill in Senate.

HB 1227 - (Rep's Headland, Damschen, Porter; Sen's Erbele, Hogue) - Would provide an online hunter education course for individuals ages 16 and older; changes the minimum age to particpate in the youth deer hunting season from 14 to 12; establishes a provisional license that allows residents over age 18 who have not completed hunters safety to hunt for free during one season for which licenses are not issued by lottery. Passed House 74-20.

HB 1239 - (Rep's Hofstad, S. Meyer, Porter; Sen's Heckaman, Oehlke) - Clarifies that the owner or tenant, or an individual authorized by the owner, may post land. Also defines the standard for the conviction of this offense. Passed House 86-2. Bill in Senate.

HB 1240 - (Rep's Hofstad, Hanson, Porter; Sen's Hogue, Oehlke) - Would change agricultural exemption from licensure for guides and outfitters. Passed House 91-3.

HB 1379 - (Rep's Onstad, Hatlestad; Senator Warner) - Would appropriate $1.7 million out of the general fund in the state treasury to the Game and Fish Department for constucting a paved roadway and boat ramp near the marina at Arrowhead Point near New Town. HNRC heard 1/23, no action taken.

HB 1470 - (Rep's Kilichowski, Koppelman, Kretschmar, Metcalf; Sen's Mathern, Nodland) - Would reduce the boating and hunting under the influence law from .10 to .08. House Transportation Committee to hear 2/12, 9:30 a.m., Fort Totten Room.

HB 1499 - (Rep's Gruchalla, Griffin, Hanson, S. Kelsh, Schneider; Senator Fiebiger) - Would change the dates to April 1 though August 14 when professional gun dog trainers are prohibited from training dogs in the field. HNRC heard 2/5, no action taken.

HB 1504 - (Rep's Heller, Kreidt; Senator Christmann) - Would allow a person with certain disabilities who is eligible for a gratis license to designate another hunter to shoot their deer. HNRC heard 2/5, no action taken.

HB 1515 - (Rep's Onstad, Nathe, Porter, Weiler; Sen's Hogue, Warner) - Would appropriate $30 million from the state treasury to the Department of Transportation to pave access roadways to Lake Sakakawea. House Transportation Committee to hear 2/12, 10:30 a.m., Fort Totten Room.

HB 1567 - (Rep's Kasper, Griffin, Hofstad, Ruby, Schneider) - Clarifies that a guide or outfitter license is not required for a person who refers an individual to a guide or outfitter. HNRC heard 2/5, no action taken.

HCR 3007 -(Rep's Porter, Carlson, Damschen, Hanson; Sen's Stenehjem, Hogue) - A concurrent resolution urging Congress to amend federal law to implement the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's alternative that would use resident certified volunteer sharpshooters to take elk in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. House adopted. Resolution in Senate.

HCR 3021 - (Rep's Kempenich, Froelich; Sen's Erbele, Taylor) - A concurrent resolution urging the United States Fish and Wildlife Service not to list the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. HNRC to hear 2/12, 9:30 a.m.

SB 2146 - (Transportation Committee at the request of the State Treasurer) - Would change the date of payment of state gas tax to the Game and Fish Department from July 1 to any date in July. Passed Senate 41-0. Bill in House.

SB 2165 - (Sen's Krauter, Lyson; Rep's Damschen, DeKrey, Kerzman, Nottestad) - Would allow individuals who are 16 years of age and older who have not taken the hunter education course to be issued an apprentice hunter validation, entitling them to hunt small game and deer for only one license year in a lifetime. Passed Senate 47-0 with an emergency clause. Bill in House.

SB 2264 - (Sen's Klein, Erbele, Heckaman; Rep's Damschen, DeKrey, Weisz) - Would create a season-long nonresident small game license for $125, with $40 designated for the PLOTS program. Passed Senate 30-16, rereferred to appropriations. Senate Appropriations to hear 2/11, 9 a.m., Harvest Room.

SB 2309 - (Sen's Potter, Anderson, Heckaman; Rep's DeKrey, Kaldor, Wall) - Would provide for a study of lands along the Sibley and Sully historic trails for purposes of historical education, heritage tourism and access for public hunting. Passed Senate 42-4. Bill in House.

SB 2351 - (Sen's Olafson, Triplett; Rep's Belter, Kaldor) - Would prohibit an individual from feeding big game and hunting big game over bait. SNRC to hear 2/12, 9 a.m.

SB 2424 - (Sen's Fischer, Heckaman) - Would require the Game and Fish Department and State Water Commission to jointly provide funding for any water project feature built or required to control aquatic nuisance species. SNRC heard 2/5, no action taken. Senate Appropriations to hear 2/13, 8 a.m., Harvest Room.

SCR 4012 - (Sen's Anderson, Bowman; Rep's J. Kelsh, Wall) - A concurrent resolution urging Congress to require the U.S. Department of the Interior to make use of volunteers to take elk in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. SNRC to hear 2/12, 2:30 p.m.

Failed/Withdrawn

HB 1076 - (Representative DeKrey) - Would prohibit an individual from applying for a license to hunt big game, small game or furbearers who is barred by state or federal law from possessing a firearm. Failed House 6-86.

HB 1211 - (Rep's Hanson, Gruchalla, Mueller, Porter; Sen's Fischer, Freborg) - Would require the address or telephone number in addition to the name on all posting signs. Failed House 25-69.

HB 1246 - (Rep's Amerman, J. Kelsh, Kempenich; Sen's Dotzenrod, Lyson) - Would change the structure of the nonresident small game license by making it valid for up to 14 days in periods of at least three consecutive days each. Failed House 28-65.

HB 1248 - (Rep's S. Meyer, DeKrey, Delmore, Hanson, Hofstad; Senator Hogue) - Would allow an individual fishing from shore to use up to four poles. Failed House 7-81.

HB 1260 - (Rep's S. Meyer, Damschen, DeKrey, Hanson) - Would make it illegal for a person to use a bow with an axle-to-axle length under 30 inches. Withdrawn from consideration.

SB 2068 - (Senator Behm) - Would replace the Social Security number with a distinguishing number for a Game and Fish license applicant. SNRC amendments: would use either a Social Security number or alternate identification number; and provides an agency directive, appropriation and effective date. Failed Senate 13-33.

SB 2189 - (Senator Hogue; Rep's DeKrey, Hofstad, Porter, Ruby) - Would require a resident to purchase a small game license at age 18 instead of 16, and eliminates license fees for residents under age 18. SNRC amended to allow the director to increase game and fish license fees (excluding fees established by statute) to offset lost revenue, recommended do-pass 6-1 as amended. Senate rereferred to SNRC, amended to eliminate the section allowing the director to increase fees; increased the habitat restoration stamp fee from $10 to $13; effective April 1, 2010. Failed Senate 9-37.