Bill Text: NH HB589 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-16 - Introduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Fish and Game and Marine Resources House Journal 3 [HB589 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB589-Introduced.html
HB 589-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0769
08/09
HOUSE BILL 589-FN
AN ACT defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.
SPONSORS: Rep. Schultz, Merr. 29; Rep. D. Paige, Carr. 1; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5
COMMITTEE: Fish and Game and Marine Resources
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ANALYSIS
This bill defines and prohibits wanton animal waste and prohibits certain wildlife hunting contests.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0769
08/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Wanton Waste; Definition. Amend RSA 207:1 by inserting after paragraph XXIX the following new paragraph:
XXIX-a. Wanton waste: The act of intentionally leaving a wounded or killed animal in the field or forest without making a reasonable effort to retrieve and render it for consumption or use. "Wanton waste" shall not apply to animals that are diseased, and thus unfit for consumption or use, or grossly mutilated, and thus rendered unfit for consumption or use, nor to animals on privately owned property taken in the defense of person or property under RSA 207:26 or RSA 207:30.
2 New Section; General Fish and Game Provisions; Wanton Waste. Amend RSA 207 by inserting after section 3-e the following new section:
207:3-f Wanton Waste.
I. No person shall commit wanton waste of a wild animal that has been wounded or killed by that person while hunting. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a violation.
II. This section shall not abridge enforcement actions taken pursuant to RSA 212-A, RSA 207:5, or RSA 211:1. This section shall not apply to wildlife conservation officers, licensed trappers for removal of nuisance animals, persons acting under a pre-damage kill permit, persons acting under a depredation permit, persons acting for scientific purposes under a scientific permit, or persons acting pursuant to RSA 207:22-c, III or RSA 206:26.
III. The executive director shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, regarding the applicability of this section to hunting and fishing in the state.
3 New Section; Wildlife Killing Contests Prohibited. Amend RSA 208 by inserting after section 1-e the following new section:
208:1-f Wildlife Killing Contests Prohibited.
I. No person shall organize, promote, solicit participation in, or participate in any contest that is created specifically for participants to take any wildlife species whose seasons or bag limits are regulated by the fish and game commission. In this section, "contest" means any organized or sponsored competition consisting of 2 or more persons where prizes of cash, goods, or other inducements are awarded for taking of individuals of any covered species.
II. This section shall not apply to any lawful manner of taking, open season time limits, permitted scientific investigations, or wildlife management practices authorized under title XVIII or administrative rules adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A.
III. This section shall not apply to contests comparing sizes and other metrics of registered white tail deer and wild turkeys for the purpose of ranking those harvested each year.
IV. This section shall not apply to fishing derbies which have been permitted by the fish and game commission.
V. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
VI. The executive director shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A, to implement this section.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.
25-0769
1/4/25
HB 589-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund | None | |||||
Expenditures* | Indeterminable | |||||
Funding Source | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
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Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
County Expenditures | Indeterminable | |||||
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Local Expenditures | Indeterminable | |||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill adds, deletes, or modifies a criminal penalty, or changes statute to which there is a penalty for violation. Therefore, this bill may have an impact on the judicial and correctional systems, which could affect prosecution, incarceration, probation, and parole costs, for the state, as well as county and local governments. A summary of such costs can be found at: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/Budget/Fiscal_Notes/JudicialCorrectionalCosts.pdf.
The Fish and Game Department states this bill could result in increased enforcement activities, however it would likely be accomplished within its normal budgeted amounts.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Judicial Branch, Judicial Council, Department of Justice, Department of Corrections, Fish and Game Department, New Hampshire Association of Counties, and New Hampshire Municipal Association
