S-4189.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6681

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senators Snyder, Rasmussen and Oke

Read first time 01/27/98.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Parks.

Creating a task force to review the viability of allowing a greater number of fish and wildlife personnel to issue citations for fish and wildlife violations.

    AN ACT Relating to creating the fish and wildlife enforcement task force; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1) The legislature finds that:

    (a) Enforcement is a critical component to successful fish and wildlife management;

    (b) The ratio of fish and wildlife officers per citizen has increased dramatically over the last decade; and

    (c) Department of fish and wildlife field personnel could provide a greater enforcement presence with the ability to issue citations for fish and wildlife violations.

    (2) It is the intent of the legislature to create a fish and wildlife enforcement task force to make recommendations that would enable certain fish and wildlife personnel to issue citations for fish and wildlife violations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  (1) The fish and wildlife enforcement task force is created.  The task force is composed of the following nine members:  Two members representing the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, of which one member shall be from the majority caucus and one member from the minority caucus; two members representing the senate appointed by the president of the senate, of which one member shall be from the majority caucus and one member from the minority caucus; the director of the department of fish and wildlife or the director's designee; the director of the department of personnel or the director's designee; the director of the department of labor and industries, or the director's designee; the chief of the state patrol or the chief's designee; and one member of a labor organization that represents department field employees, appointed by the governor.

    (2) The purpose of the task force is to make recommendations to the legislature on steps necessary to allow department of fish and wildlife personnel to issue citations for fish and wildlife violations.

    (3) In making its recommendations the task force shall, at a minimum, consider the following:

    (a) The need, if any, for law enforcement training;

    (b) The need for reclassification of employees under the Washington state personnel system;

    (c) The need for future changes in labor agreements or contracts;

    (d) The possibility of filling personnel vacancies with employees capable of undertaking enforcement responsibilities in conjunction with their other duties;

    (e) Those enforcement activities that nonenforcement personnel would be authorized or prohibited from performing;

    (f) The need for legislative action; and

    (g) The need, if any, for an increase in agency funding to implement the task force recommendations.

    (4) The task force shall present its recommendations and findings to the governor, the natural resources committee in the house of representatives, and the senate natural resources and parks committee by January 1, 1999.

    (5) The task force expires June 30, 1999.

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