SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5002

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

    Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation, January 27, 1999

Title:  An act relating to a fish and wildlife hot line.

Brief Description:  Creating a hot line to report poaching, dangerous wildlife, or unlawful habitat destruction.

Sponsors:  Senators Jacobsen, Oke, Honeyford, T. Sheldon, Kline, Winsley, Rossi, Patterson, Rasmussen and Costa.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation:  1/27/99 [DPS-WM].

Ways & Means:  2/10/99

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & RECREATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5002 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

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

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786-7413)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Staff:  Kari Guy (786-7437)

Background:  The Department of Fish and Wildlife currently operates a toll-free hotline for reporting wildlife poaching.  The hotline is not required by statute.  The department is not required to report the results of investigations that are initiated by hotline callers.  Hotline callers often desire to know the results of their hotline calls reporting poachers.

Sightings of black bear and cougar are increasing.  A toll-free hotline could be utilized to report cases of dangerous animals to the department.

Fish and wildlife habitat may be unlawfully destroyed by violations of the hydraulic projects statute, the Forest Practices Act, or other state environmental laws.  Violations of environmental laws could be reported to a toll-free hotline.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The toll-free poaching hotline is authorized in statute and expanded to include calls on dangerous wildlife.  The department must report the results of its investigative findings back to each person who provides a poaching or dangerous wildlife report, if requested to do so by the person making the report.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  References to reports on habitat destruction are removed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 27, 1999.

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

Testimony For:  A toll free hotline is needed to assist in the reporting of dangerous animals.

Testimony Against:  Reporting of habitat destruction is not an appropriate function of a toll free hotline.

Testified:  PRO:  Lisa Wathne, Humane Society of the U.S.; Joe Haptas, NW Animal Rights Network; Claudine Erlandson; David Reynard; Tom Ryle; Peter Brandt; Harry Reid; Linda Johnson, Farm Bureau (w/concerns); Stephanie Bell, PAWS; Lea Lucky; Kay Joubert, PAWS; Bruce Bjork, WDFW; Cathy Saee; CON:  Kathy West; Karla Kay Fullerton, WA Cattlemen=s Assn.; Alwood Bridge, Western Fish and Wildlife Federation; Jim Reynolds.