S-0406.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5230

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Swecker, Oke, Hewitt, Parlette, Rasmussen, McAuliffe, Regala, Eide and Hargrove

Read first time 01/16/2001.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines.

Clarifying that mole traps are not body-gripping animal traps.

    AN ACT Relating to body-gripping animal traps; and amending RCW 77.15.---.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 77.15.--- and 2001 c 1 s 2 (Initiative Measure No. 713) are each amended to read as follows:

    The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 77.15.--- through 77.15.--- (sections 3 through 5, chapter 1, Laws of 2001 (Initiative Measure No. 713)).

    (1) "Animal" means any nonhuman vertebrate.

    (2) "Body-gripping trap" means a trap that grips an animal's body or body part.  Body-gripping trap includes, but is not limited to, steel-jawed leghold traps, padded-jaw leghold traps, Conibear traps, neck snares, and nonstrangling foot snares.  Cage and box traps, suitcase-type live beaver traps, and common rat and mouse traps are not considered body-gripping traps.  Body-gripping trap does not mean a trap typically used to catch moles.

    (3) "Person" means a human being and, where appropriate, a public or private corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a government, or a governmental instrumentality.

    (4) "Raw fur" means a pelt that has not been processed for purposes of retail sale.

    (5) "Animal problem" means any animal that threatens or damages timber or private property or threatens or injures livestock or any other domestic animal.

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