Bill Text: IL HB2569 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

Illinois House Bill 2569

Introduced

Bill Title: Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that striped skunks and raccoons may be rehabilitated by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for treatment and release. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to adopt rules to implement the amendatory Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-04 - Referred to Rules Committee [HB2569 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB2569-Introduced.html

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2569

Introduced , by Rep. Amy Briel

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

520 ILCS 5/2.37 from Ch. 61, par. 2.37

Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that striped skunks and raccoons may be rehabilitated by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for treatment and release. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to adopt rules to implement the amendatory Act.

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A BILL FOR

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1 AN ACT concerning wildlife.

2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3 represented in the General Assembly:

4 Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing

5 Section 2.37 as follows:

6 (520 ILCS 5/2.37) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.37)

7 (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-611)

8 Sec. 2.37. Authority to kill wildlife responsible for

9 damage.

10 (a) Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the

11 Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act, the Department may

12 authorize owners and tenants of lands or their agents, who are

13 performing the service without fee or compensation, to remove

14 or destroy any wild bird or wild mammal when the wild bird or

15 wild mammal is known to be destroying property or causing a

16 risk to human health or safety upon his or her land.

17 Upon receipt by the Department of information from the

18 owner, tenant, or sharecropper that any one or more species of

19 wildlife is damaging dams, levees, ditches, cattle pastures,

20 or other property on the land on which he resides or controls,

21 together with a statement regarding location of the property

22 damages, the nature and extent of the damage, and the

23 particular species of wildlife committing the damage, the

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1 Department shall make an investigation.

2 If, after investigation, the Department finds that damage

3 does exist and can be abated only by removing or destroying

4 that wildlife, a permit shall be issued by the Department to

5 remove or destroy the species responsible for causing the

6 damage.

7 A permit to control the damage shall be for a period of up

8 to 90 days, shall specify the means and methods by which and

9 the person or persons by whom the wildlife may be removed or

10 destroyed, without fee or compensation, and shall set forth

11 the disposition procedure to be made of all wildlife taken and

12 other restrictions the Director considers necessary and

13 appropriate in the circumstances of the particular case.

14 Whenever possible, the specimens destroyed shall be given to a

15 bona fide public or State scientific, educational, or

16 zoological institution.

17 The permittee shall advise the Department in writing,

18 within 10 days after the expiration date of the permit, of the

19 number of individual species of wildlife taken, disposition

20 made of them, and any other information which the Department

21 may consider necessary.

22 (b) Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the

23 Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act, the Department may

24 grant the authority to control species protected by this Code

25 pursuant to the issuance of a Nuisance Wildlife Control Permit

26 to:

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1 (1) any person who is providing such service for a fee

2 or compensation;

3 (2) a governmental body; or

4 (3) a nonprofit or other charitable organization.

5 The Department shall set forth applicable regulations in

6 an Administrative Order and may require periodic reports

7 listing species taken, numbers of each species taken, dates

8 when taken, and other pertinent information.

9 Any person operating under a Nuisance Wildlife Control

10 Permit who subcontracts the operation of nuisance wildlife

11 control to another shall ensure that such subcontractor

12 possesses a valid Nuisance Wildlife Control Permit issued by

13 the Department. The person must maintain a record of the

14 subcontractor including the subcontractor's name, address, and

15 phone number, and type of work to be performed, for a period of

16 not less than 2 years from the date the subcontractor is no

17 longer performing services on behalf of the person. The

18 records shall be presented to an authorized employee of the

19 Department or law enforcement officer upon request for

20 inspection.

21 Any person operating without the required permit as

22 outlined under this subsection (b) or in violation of this

23 subsection (b) is deemed to be taking, attempting to take,

24 disturbing, or harassing wildlife contrary to the provisions

25 of this Code, including the taking or attempting to take such

26 species for commercial purposes as outlined in Sections 2.36

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1 and 2.36a of this Code. Any devices and equipment, including

2 vehicles, used in violation of this subsection (b) may be

3 subject to the provisions of Section 1.25 of this Code.

4 (c) The location of traps or snares authorized under this

5 Section, either by the Department or any other governmental

6 body with the authority to control species protected by this

7 Code, shall be exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of

8 Information Act.

9 (d) A drainage district or road district or the designee

10 of a drainage district or road district shall be exempt from

11 the requirement to obtain a permit to control nuisance

12 muskrats or beavers if all applicable provisions for licenses

13 are complied with and any trap types and sizes used are in

14 compliance with this Code, including marking or

15 identification. The designee of a drainage district or road

16 district must have a signed and dated written authorization

17 from the drainage district or road district in possession at

18 all times when conducting activities under this Section. This

19 exemption from obtaining a permit shall be valid only upon

20 property owned, leased, or controlled by the drainage district

21 or road district. For the purposes of this Section, "road

22 district" includes a township road district.

23 (e) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,

24 striped skunks and raccoons may be rehabilitated by a licensed

25 wildlife rehabilitator for treatment and release after removal

26 under this Section and rules adopted under this Section. The

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1 Department may set reasonable requirements for the release of

2 striped skunks and raccoons under this subsection in order to

3 protect the health, welfare, and safety of the people of the

4 State of Illinois. The Department shall adopt rules

5 implementing this subsection within one year of the effective

6 date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.

7 (Source: P.A. 102-524, eff. 8-20-21; 103-37, eff. 6-9-23;

8 103-225, eff. 6-30-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)

9 (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-611)

10 Sec. 2.37. Authority to kill wildlife responsible for

11 damage.

12 (a) Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the

13 Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act, the Department may

14 authorize owners and tenants of lands or their agents, who are

15 performing the service without fee or compensation, to remove

16 or destroy any wild bird or wild mammal when the wild bird or

17 wild mammal is known to be destroying property or causing a

18 risk to human health or safety upon his or her land.

19 Upon receipt by the Department of information from the

20 owner, tenant, or sharecropper that any one or more species of

21 wildlife is damaging dams, levees, ditches, cattle pastures,

22 or other property on the land on which he resides or controls,

23 together with a statement regarding location of the property

24 damages, the nature and extent of the damage, and the

25 particular species of wildlife committing the damage, the

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