BILL REQ. #:  Z-0722.1 

Read first time 01/14/08.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to Puget Sound Dungeness crab catch record cards; amending RCW 77.32.070 and 77.15.280; and prescribing penalties.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 77.32.070 and 2005 c 418 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Applicants for a license, permit, tag, or stamp shall furnish the information required by the director. However, the director may not require the purchaser of a razor clam license under RCW 77.32.520 to provide any personal information except for proof of residency. The commission may adopt rules requiring licensees or permittees to keep records and make reports concerning the taking of or effort to harvest fish, shellfish, and wildlife. The reporting requirement may be waived where, for any reason, the department is not able to receive the report. The department must provide reasonable options for a licensee to submit information to a live operator prior to the reporting deadline.
     (2) The commission may, by rule, set an administrative penalty for failure to comply with rules requiring the reporting of taking or effort to harvest wildlife. The commission may also adopt rules requiring hunters who have not reported for the previous license year to complete a report and pay the assessed administrative penalty before a new hunting license is issued.
     (a) The total administrative penalty per hunter set by the commission must not exceed ten dollars.
     (b) By December 31st of each year, the department shall report the rate of hunter compliance with the harvest reporting requirement, the administrative penalty imposed for failing to report, and the amount of administrative penalties collected during that year to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the senate and house of representatives.
     (3) The commission may, by rule, set an administrative penalty for failure to comply with rules requiring the reporting of data from catch record cards officially endorsed for Puget Sound Dungeness crab. The commission may also adopt rules requiring fishers who possessed a catch record card officially endorsed for Puget Sound Dungeness crab and who have not reported for the previous license year to complete a report and pay the assessed administrative penalty before a new catch record card officially endorsed for Puget Sound Dungeness crab is issued.
     (a) The total administrative penalty per fisher set by the commission must not exceed twenty-five dollars.
     (b) By December 31st of each year, the department shall report the rate of fisher compliance with the Puget Sound Dungeness crab catch record card reporting requirement, the administrative penalty imposed for failing to report, and the amount of administrative penalties collected during that year to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the senate and house of representatives.

Sec. 2   RCW 77.15.280 and 2005 c 418 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A person is guilty of violating rules requiring reporting of fish or wildlife harvest if the person:
     (a) Fails to make a harvest log report of a commercial fish or shellfish catch in violation of any rule of the commission or the director;
     (b) Fails to maintain a trapper's report or taxidermist ledger in violation of any rule of the commission or the director;
     (c) Fails to submit any portion of a big game animal for a required inspection required by rule of the commission or the director; or
     (d) Fails to return a catch record card to the department as required by rule of the commission or director, except for catch record cards officially endorsed for Puget Sound Dungeness crab.
     (2) Violating rules requiring reporting of fish or wildlife harvest is a misdemeanor.