Passed by the House March 4, 2024 Yeas 56 Nays 41 LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate February 23, 2024 Yeas 49 Nays 0 DENNY HECK
President of the Senate | CERTIFICATE I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 1226 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BERNARD DEAN
Chief Clerk Chief Clerk |
Approved March 14, 2024 11:08 AM | FILED March 14, 2024 |
JAY INSLEE
Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
HOUSE BILL 1226
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
State of Washington | 68th Legislature | 2023 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Chapman and Fitzgibbon; by request of Department of Fish and Wildlife
Read first time 01/11/23.Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
AN ACT Relating to providing for recreational licensing of smelt, crawfish, and carp; amending RCW
77.32.010; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that as Washington's growing population accesses limited natural resources, there is a need to increase compliance, and provide education, on appropriate gear, seasons, and species take limits.
(2) The legislature further finds that previously unregulated species are under increased recreational harvest. Recreational licensing is an appropriate mechanism to educate the public and preserve opportunity in the future.
(3) The legislature further finds that eulachon, also known as Pacific smelt and Columbia river smelt, are listed as a threatened species under the endangered species act and licensing requirements are needed to provide angler education and allow for better regulation and monitoring to prevent them from becoming endangered.
(4) The legislature also finds that licensing for carp will aid in enforcement of illegal fishing where people fishing for regulated species without a required license have claimed to be fishing for carp, thereby negatively affecting the fisheries of other regulated species.
(5) The legislature further finds that licensing for crawfish will provide the public with education that enables them to distinguish between native and invasive crawfish species, facilitating the removal of invasive crawfish.
Sec. 2. RCW
77.32.010 and 2019 c 290 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter or department rule, a recreational license issued by the director is required to hunt, fish, or take wildlife or seaweed. A ((recreational fishing or shellfish license is not required for carp, freshwater smelt, and crawfish, and a)) hunting license is not required for bullfrogs.
(3) The commission may, by rule, indicate that a fishing permit issued to a nontribal member by the Colville Tribes shall satisfy the license requirements in subsection (1) of this section on the waters of Lake Rufus Woods and on the north shore of Lake Rufus Woods, and that a Colville Tribes tribal member identification card shall satisfy the license requirements in subsection (1) of this section on all waters of Lake Rufus Woods.
(4) A recreational fishing license is not required to fish for carp in Moses Lake or Vancouver Lake.
Passed by the House March 4, 2024.
Passed by the Senate February 23, 2024.
Approved by the Governor March 14, 2024.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 14, 2024.
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