H-4957.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 3012
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Doumit, Buck, Regala, Schoesler, Linville, McCune, Tokuda, Pennington, Morris, Chandler, Anderson, Butler, Conway, Cole, Costa and Hatfield)
Read first time 02/05/98. Referred to Committee on .
AN ACT Relating to achieving greater compliance with laws protecting fish and wildlife; adding a new section to chapter 75.08 RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that there are a number of laws already in existence to protect fish and wildlife in this state. The legislature recognizes that in order to adequately comply with mandates of the federal endangered species act (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.), it is necessary to obtain greater compliance with these laws. The legislature finds that the number of commissioned officers who enforced fish and wildlife laws has decreased since the merger of the department of wildlife and the department of fisheries. The legislature finds that as a result of the state's increased population the ratio of population to enforcement officers has increased significantly. The legislature finds that visible enforcement officers in the field act as an incentive for compliance with laws that protect fish and wildlife. The legislature therefore finds that additional fish and wildlife enforcement officers located in the field are needed to protect the state's natural resources. It is therefore the intent of the legislature to restore the number of enforcement officers to the level prior to the merger of the department of fisheries and the department of wildlife by directing the department to deploy more enforcement officers into the field, authorizing the establishment of a volunteer reserve corps of enforcement officers, and providing funding to retain current and hire additional enforcement officers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The director of the department of fish and wildlife shall consult with the exclusive bargaining representatives of employees of the department as well as representatives of local communities for the purpose of preparing a reorganization plan that results in the redeployment of staff from central office positions to field enforcement positions. The department shall also reallocate central office positions that become vacant to field enforcement positions to the extent it is feasible. The reorganization plan shall be prepared with the assistance of the fish and wildlife commission with the objectives of improving the overall efficiency of the department and providing greater protection to fish and wildlife.
(2) The fish and wildlife commission shall report to the appropriate legislative committees by December 31, 1998, to describe the progress on the development of the redeployment plan.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 75.08 RCW to read as follows:
The department shall establish a reserve officer program for the purpose of providing better enforcement of fish and wildlife laws. The department shall determine the scope and line of authority for reserve officers, but the authority may not exceed the authority of a commissioned fisheries patrol officer under this chapter or a commissioned wildlife agent under chapter 77.12 RCW. The criteria for becoming a reserve officer shall include proper law enforcement training and education approved by the Washington state criminal justice training commission, and any other training deemed necessary by the department. Any time spent as a reserve officer shall not increase any eligibility for pension rights or benefits.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sum of one million nine hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1999, from the general fund to the department of fish and wildlife for the sole purpose of hiring or retaining fisheries patrol officers and wildlife agents to provide better enforcement of the fish and wildlife laws with priority given to areas where aquatic species have been listed or are proposed to be listed under the federal endangered species act (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.).
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