SENATE BILL 383

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Pete Campos

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE STATE GAME COMMISSION; AMENDING THE COMMISSION'S POWERS TO INCLUDE RULEMAKING RELATING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF FAIR CHASE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-2-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1931, Chapter 117, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:

     "17-2-1. COMMISSION POWERS.--The state game commission, in addition to the powers now vested in it and not as a limitation of those powers, is expressly authorized and empowered by regulation adopted and promulgated in the manner provided in Chapter 17 NMSA 1978 to:

          A. define game birds, game animals and game fish;

          B. establish open and closed seasons for the killing or taking of all kinds of game animals, game birds and game fish and to change such open seasons from year to year and to fix different seasons for different parts of the state;

          C. establish bag limits covering all kinds of game animals, game birds and game fish and the numbers thereof which may be killed or taken by any one person during any one day or during any one open season;

          D. authorize or prohibit the killing or taking of any game animals, game birds or game fish of any kind or sex;

          E. prescribe the manner, methods and devices [which] that may be used in hunting, taking or killing game animals, game birds and game fish;

          F. prescribe rules [and regulations] to prohibit any vehicle or vehicles used in transporting persons engaged in hunting, taking or killing game animals, game birds and game fish from leaving established roadways;

          G. prescribe rules that embody the principles of fair chase, which rules may include prohibitions on the use of certain technologies for hunting or fishing or may include withholding from the public specific wildlife location data that is collected by the department of game and fish or its contractors; and

          [G.] H. appoint one or more advisory committees to furnish advice, evaluations and recommendations for wildlife management projects utilizing revenue derived from the sale of public land management stamps. The advisory committees shall be created pursuant to the procedures of Section 9-1-9 NMSA 1978, provided that the restrictions on the life of advisory committees contained in Subsection F of that section shall not [be applicable] apply."

- 3 -