Bill Text: MI SB0245 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Chaptered


Bill Title: Natural resources; hunting; penalties for illegally taking or possessing certain game; increase. Amends sec. 40118 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.40118). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0244'15, SB 0246'15

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-2)

Status: (Passed) 2015-12-01 - Assigned Pa 0188'15 With Immediate Effect [SB0245 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2015-SB0245-Chaptered.html

Act No. 188

Public Acts of 2015

Approved by the Governor

November 16, 2015

Filed with the Secretary of State

November 16, 2015

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 14, 2016

STATE OF MICHIGAN

98TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2015

Introduced by Senators Zorn, Marleau, Proos, Pavlov, Knezek, Bieda and Hansen

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 245

AN ACT to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled “An act to protect the environment and natural resources of the state; to codify, revise, consolidate, and classify laws relating to the environment and natural resources of the state; to regulate the discharge of certain substances into the environment; to regulate the use of certain lands, waters, and other natural resources of the state; to protect the people’s right to hunt and fish; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies and officials; to provide for certain charges, fees, assessments, and donations; to provide certain appropriations; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by amending section 40118 (MCL 324.40118), as amended by 2012 PA 520.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 40118. (1) An individual who violates this part, an order or interim order issued under this part, or a condition of a permit issued under this part, except for a violation specified in subsections (2) to (17), is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $500.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution. In addition, a permit issued by the department under this part shall be revoked pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328.

(2) An individual who violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part regarding the possession or taking of any game, except deer, bear, wild turkey, wolf, waterfowl, moose, or elk, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or a fine of not less than $100.00 or more than $1,000.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, an individual who violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part regarding the possession or taking of deer, bear, wild turkey, or wolf is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 5 days or more than 90 days, and a fine of not less than $200.00 or more than $1,000.00, and the costs of prosecution. An individual shall not be punished under this subsection for lawfully removing, capturing, or destroying a wolf under 2008 PA 290, MCL 324.95151 to 324.95155, or 2008 PA 318, MCL 324.95161 to 324.95167.

(4) An individual who violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part regarding the possession or taking of elk is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not less than 30 days or more than 180 days, or a fine of not less than $500.00 or more than $2,000.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution.

(5) An individual who violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part regarding the possession or taking of moose is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 90 days or more than 1 year and a fine of not less than $1,000.00 or more than $5,000.00, and the costs of prosecution.

(6) An individual who violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part regarding the possession or taking of waterfowl is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not less than $250.00 or more than $500.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution. An individual who violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part regarding the possession or taking of waterfowl a second or subsequent time is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of $500.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution.

(7) An individual sentenced under subsection (3), (14), or (15) shall not secure or possess a license of any kind to hunt during the remainder of the year in which convicted and the next 3 succeeding calendar years. An individual sentenced under subsection (11) shall not secure or possess a license to hunt during the remainder of the year in which convicted and the next succeeding calendar year, or longer in the discretion of the court.

(8) In addition to the penalties provided for violating this part or an order issued under this part, an individual convicted of the illegal killing, possessing, purchasing, or selling of a bear or an antlered white-tailed deer is subject to the following penalties:

(a) For a first offense, the individual shall not secure or possess a license of any kind to hunt for an additional 2 calendar years after the penalties imposed under subsection (7).

(b) For a second or subsequent offense, the individual shall not secure or possess a license of any kind to hunt for an additional 7 calendar years after the penalties imposed under subsection (7).

(9) In addition to the penalties provided for violating this part or an order issued under this part, an individual convicted of the illegal killing, possessing, purchasing, or selling of a wild turkey shall not secure or possess a license of any kind to hunt for an additional 2 calendar years after the penalties imposed under subsection (7).

(10) An individual sentenced under subsection (4) or (5) is subject to the following penalties:

(a) For a first offense, the individual shall not secure or possess a license of any kind to hunt for the remainder of the year in which convicted and the next 15 succeeding calendar years.

(b) For a second offense, the individual shall not secure or possess a license of any kind to hunt for the remainder of that individual’s life.

(11) An individual who violates section 40113(1) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not less than 5 days or more than 90 days, or a fine of not less than $100.00 or more than $500.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution.

(12) An individual who violates section 40113(2) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $500.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution.

(13) An individual who violates section 40113(3) is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 5 days or more than 90 days and a fine of not less than $100.00 or more than $500.00, and the costs of prosecution.

(14) An individual who violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part regarding the taking or possession of an animal that has been designated by the department to be a protected animal, other than an animal that appears on a list prepared pursuant to section 36505, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not less than $100.00 or more than $1,000.00, or both, and the costs of prosecution.

(15) An individual who buys or sells game or a protected animal in violation of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both, for the first offense, and is guilty of a felony for each subsequent offense.

(16) An individual who willfully violates a provision of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part by using an illegally constructed snare or cable restraint is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or a fine of $1,000.00 for the first illegally constructed snare or cable restraint and $250.00 for each subsequent illegally constructed snare or cable restraint, or both, and the costs of prosecution.

(17) If an individual is convicted of a violation of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part and it is alleged in the complaint and proved or admitted at trial or ascertained by the court after conviction that the individual had been previously convicted 2 times within the preceding 5 years for a violation of this part or an order or interim order issued under this part, the individual is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 10 days or more than 180 days, and a fine of not less than $500.00 or more than $2,000.00, and costs of prosecution.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.

Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect unless all of the following bills of the 98th Legislature are enacted into law:

(a) Senate Bill No. 244.

(b) Senate Bill No. 246.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved

Governor