SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 2495

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

   Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation, February 23, 2000

Title:  An act relating to hunting licenses.

Brief Description:  Allowing holders of big and small game hunting licenses to hunt unclassified wildlife.

Sponsors:  Representatives Pennington and Benson; by request of Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation:  2/21/2000, 2/23/2000 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & RECREATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; T. Sheldon, Vice Chair; Hargrove, Morton, Oke, Rossi, Snyder, Spanel and Stevens.

Staff:  David Johnson (786-7754)

Background:  Current law requires a person to have a valid small game hunting license in order to hunt unclassified wildlife.  Unclassified wildlife includes, but is not limited to, animals such as: coyote, opossum, mountain beaver, vole, and nonnative squirrel.

Current law does not permit holders of a big game license to hunt unclassified wildlife.

Summary of Bill:  Holders of big game license may hunt unclassified wildlife.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill restores the unclassified wildlife hunting license situation to where it was before it was inadvertently limited by the licensing reform bill a few years ago.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Steve Pozzanghera, WDFW (pro).