103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2461

 

Introduced 2/15/2023, by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
520 ILCS 5/2.36  from Ch. 61, par. 2.36
520 ILCS 5/2.37  from Ch. 61, par. 2.37
520 ILCS 5/3.5  from Ch. 61, par. 3.5

    Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that any individual, corporation, or association operating under a nuisance wildlife control permit that subcontracts the operation of nuisance wildlife control to another is responsible to ensure that the subcontractor possesses a valid nuisance wildlife control permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources. Establishes penalties for violations of this provision. Provides that any person operating without the required permit is deemed to be taking, attempting to take, disturbing, or harassing wildlife contrary to the provisions of the Code, including the taking or attempting to take such species for commercial purposes. Provides that any devices and equipment, including vehicles, used in violation of these provisions may be subject to seizure and confiscation by an employee of the Department of Natural Resources. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB103 25474 RLC 51823 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2461LRB103 25474 RLC 51823 b

1    AN ACT concerning wildlife.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
5Sections 2.36, 2.37, and 3.5 as follows:
 
6    (520 ILCS 5/2.36)  (from Ch. 61, par. 2.36)
7    Sec. 2.36. It shall be unlawful to buy, sell or barter, or
8offer to buy, sell or barter, and for a commercial
9institution, other than a regularly operated refrigerated
10storage establishment, to have in its possession any of the
11wild birds, or any part thereof (and their eggs), or wild
12mammals or any parts thereof, protected by this Act unless
13done as hereinafter provided:
14    Game birds or any parts thereof (and their eggs), may be
15held, possessed, raised and sold, or otherwise dealt with, as
16provided in Section 3.23 of this Act or when legally produced
17under similar special permit in another state or country and
18legally transported into the State of Illinois; provided that
19such imported game birds or any parts thereof, shall be marked
20with permanent irremovable tags, or similar devices, to
21establish and retain their origin and identity;
22    Rabbits may be legally taken and possessed as provided in
23Sections 3.23, 3.24, and 3.26 of this Act;

 

 

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1    Deer, or any parts thereof, may be held, possessed, sold
2or otherwise dealt with as provided in this Section and
3Sections 3.23 and 3.24 of this Act;
4    If a properly tagged deer is processed at a licensed meat
5processing facility, the meat processor at the facility is an
6active member of the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger
7program, and the owner of the deer (i) fails to claim the
8processed deer within a reasonable time or (ii) notifies the
9licensed meat processing facility that the owner no longer
10wants the processed deer, then the deer meat may be given away
11by the licensed meat processor to another person or donated to
12any other charitable organization or community food bank that
13receives wild game meat. The licensed meat processing facility
14may charge the person receiving the deer meat a reasonable and
15customary processing fee;
16    Meat processors who are active members of the Illinois
17Sportsmen Against Hunger program shall keep written records of
18all deer received. Records shall include the following
19information:
20        (1) the date the deer was received;
21        (2) the name, address, and telephone number of the
22    person from whom the deer was received;
23        (3) whether the deer was received as a whole carcass
24    or as deboned meat; if the deer was brought to the meat
25    processor as deboned meat, the processor shall include the
26    weight of the meat;

 

 

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1        (4) the number and state of issuance of the permit of
2    the person from whom the deer was received; in the absence
3    of a permit number, the meat processor may rely on the
4    written certification of the person from whom the deer was
5    received that the deer was legally taken or obtained; and
6        (5) if the person who originally delivered the deer to
7    the meat processor fails to collect or make arrangements
8    for the packaged deer meat to be collected and the meat
9    processor gives all or part of the unclaimed deer meat to
10    another person, the meat processor shall maintain a record
11    of the exchange; the meat processor's records shall
12    include the customer's name, physical address, telephone
13    number, as well as the quantity and type of deer meat given
14    to the customer. The meat processor shall also include the
15    amount of compensation received for the deer meat in his
16    or her records.
17    Meat processor records for unclaimed deer meat shall be
18open for inspection by any peace officer at any reasonable
19hour. Meat processors shall maintain records for a period of 2
20years after the date of receipt of the wild game or for as long
21as the specimen or meat remains in the meat processors
22possession, whichever is longer;
23    No meat processor shall have in his or her possession any
24deer that is not listed in his or her written records and
25properly tagged or labeled;
26    All licensed meat processors who ship any deer or parts of

 

 

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1deer that have been held, possessed, or otherwise dealt with
2shall tag or label the shipment, and the tag or label shall
3state the name of the meat processor;
4    Nothing in this Section removes meat processors from
5responsibility for the observance of any State or federal
6laws, rules, or regulations that may apply to the meat
7processing business;
8    Fur-bearing mammals, or any parts thereof, may be held,
9possessed, sold or otherwise dealt with as provided in
10Sections 3.16, 3.24, and 3.26 of this Act or when legally taken
11and possessed in Illinois or legally taken and possessed in
12and transported from other states or countries;
13    It is unlawful for any person to act as a nuisance wildlife
14control operator without a permit as provided in subsection
15(b) of Section 2.37 of this Act.
16    The inedible parts of game mammals may be held, possessed,
17sold or otherwise dealt with when legally taken, in Illinois
18or legally taken and possessed in and transported from other
19states or countries.
20    Failure to establish proof of the legality of possession
21in another state or country and importation into the State of
22Illinois, shall be prima facie evidence that such game birds
23or any parts thereof, and their eggs, game mammals and
24fur-bearing mammals, or any parts thereof, were taken within
25the State of Illinois.
26(Source: P.A. 97-567, eff. 8-25-11.)
 

 

 

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1    (520 ILCS 5/2.37)  (from Ch. 61, par. 2.37)
2    Sec. 2.37. Authority to kill wildlife responsible for
3damage.
4    (a) Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the
5Illinois Endangered Species Act, the Department may authorize
6owners and tenants of lands or their agents to remove or
7destroy any wild bird or wild mammal when the wild bird or wild
8mammal is known to be destroying property or causing a risk to
9human health or safety upon his or her land.
10    Upon receipt by the Department of information from the
11owner, tenant, or sharecropper that any one or more species of
12wildlife is damaging dams, levees, ditches, cattle pastures,
13or other property on the land on which he resides or controls,
14together with a statement regarding location of the property
15damages, the nature and extent of the damage, and the
16particular species of wildlife committing the damage, the
17Department shall make an investigation.
18    If, after investigation, the Department finds that damage
19does exist and can be abated only by removing or destroying
20that wildlife, a permit shall be issued by the Department to
21remove or destroy the species responsible for causing the
22damage.
23    A permit to control the damage shall be for a period of up
24to 90 days, shall specify the means and methods by which and
25the person or persons by whom the wildlife may be removed or

 

 

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1destroyed, without fee or compensation, and shall set forth
2the disposition procedure to be made of all wildlife taken and
3other restrictions the Director considers necessary and
4appropriate in the circumstances of the particular case.
5Whenever possible, the specimens destroyed shall be given to a
6bona-fide public or State scientific, educational, or
7zoological institution.
8    The permittee shall advise the Department in writing,
9within 10 days after the expiration date of the permit, of the
10number of individual species of wildlife taken, disposition
11made of them, and any other information which the Department
12may consider necessary.
13    (b) Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the
14Illinois Endangered Species Act, the Department may grant to
15an individual, corporation, association or a governmental body
16the authority to control species protected by this Code
17pursuant to the issuance of a Nuisance Wildlife Control
18Permit. The Department shall set forth applicable regulations
19in an Administrative Order and may require periodic reports
20listing species taken, numbers of each species taken, dates
21when taken, and other pertinent information.
22    Any individual, corporation, or association operating
23under a nuisance wildlife control permit that subcontracts the
24operation of nuisance wildlife control to another is
25responsible to ensure that such subcontractor possesses a
26valid nuisance wildlife control permit issued by the

 

 

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1Department. The individual, corporation, or association must
2maintain a record of the subcontractor including their name,
3address, and phone number, and type of work to be performed,
4for a period of not less than 2 years from the date the
5subcontractor is no longer performing services on behalf of
6the individual, corporation, or association. The records shall
7be presented to an authorized employee of the Department or
8law enforcement officer upon request for inspection.
9    Any person operating without the required permit as
10outlined under this subsection (b) or in violation of this
11subsection (b) is deemed to be taking, attempting to take,
12disturbing, or harassing wildlife contrary to the provisions
13of this Code, including the taking or attempting to take such
14species for commercial purposes as outlined in Sections 2.36
15and 2.36a of this Code. Any devices and equipment, including
16vehicles, used in violation of this subsection (b) may be
17subject to the provisions of Section 1.25 of this Code.
18    (c) Except when operating under subsection (b) of this
19Section, drainage districts Drainage Districts shall have the
20authority to control beaver provided that they must notify the
21Department in writing that a problem exists and of their
22intention to trap the animals at least 7 days before the
23trapping begins. The district District must identify traps
24used in beaver control outside the dates of the furbearer
25trapping season with metal tags with the district's name
26legibly inscribed upon them. During the furtrapping season,

 

 

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1traps must be identified as prescribed by law. Conibear traps
2at least size 330 shall be used except during the statewide
3furbearer trapping season. During that time trappers may use
4any device that is legal according to the Wildlife Code.
5Except during the statewide furbearer trapping season, beaver
6traps must be set in water at least 10 inches deep. Except
7during the statewide furbearer trapping season, traps must be
8set within 10 feet of an inhabited bank burrow or house and
9within 10 feet of a dam maintained by a beaver. No beaver or
10other furbearer taken outside of the dates for the furbearer
11trapping season may be sold. All animals must be given to the
12nearest conservation officer or other Department of Natural
13Resources representative within 48 hours after they are caught
14unless otherwise instructed by the Department. Furbearers
15taken during the fur trapping season may be sold provided that
16they are taken by persons who have valid trapping licenses in
17their possession and are lawfully taken. The district District
18must submit an annual report showing the species and numbers
19of animals caught. The report must indicate all species which
20were taken.
21    The location of traps or snares authorized under this
22Section, either by the Department or any other governmental
23body with the authority to control species protected by this
24Code, shall be exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of
25Information Act.
26(Source: P.A. 102-524, eff. 8-20-21.)
 

 

 

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1    (520 ILCS 5/3.5)  (from Ch. 61, par. 3.5)
2    Sec. 3.5. Penalties; probation.
3    (a) Any person who violates any of the provisions of
4Section 2.36a, including administrative rules, shall be guilty
5of a Class 3 felony, except as otherwise provided in
6subsection (b) of this Section and subsection (a) of Section
72.36a.
8    (b) Whenever any person who has not previously been
9convicted of, or placed on probation or court supervision for,
10any offense under Section 1.22, 2.36, or 2.36a operating
11without a permit as prescribed subsection (b) of Section 2.37
12or subsection (i) or (cc) of Section 2.33, the court may,
13without entering a judgment and with the person's consent,
14sentence the person to probation for a violation of Section
152.36a.
16        (1) When a person is placed on probation, the court
17    shall enter an order specifying a period of probation of
18    24 months and shall defer further proceedings in the case
19    until the conclusion of the period or until the filing of a
20    petition alleging violation of a term or condition of
21    probation.
22        (2) The conditions of probation shall be that the
23    person:
24            (A) Not violate any criminal statute of any
25        jurisdiction.

 

 

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1            (B) Perform no less than 30 hours of community
2        service, provided community service is available in
3        the jurisdiction and is funded and approved by the
4        county board.
5        (3) The court may, in addition to other conditions:
6            (A) Require that the person make a report to and
7        appear in person before or participate with the court
8        or courts, person, or social service agency as
9        directed by the court in the order of probation.
10            (B) Require that the person pay a fine and costs.
11            (C) Require that the person refrain from
12        possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon.
13            (D) Prohibit the person from associating with any
14        person who is actively engaged in any of the
15        activities regulated by the permits issued or
16        privileges granted by the Department of Natural
17        Resources.
18        (4) Upon violation of a term or condition of
19    probation, the court may enter a judgment on its original
20    finding of guilt and proceed as otherwise provided.
21        (5) Upon fulfillment of the terms and conditions of
22    probation, the court shall discharge the person and
23    dismiss the proceedings against the person.
24        (6) A disposition of probation is considered to be a
25    conviction for the purposes of imposing the conditions of
26    probation, for appeal, and for administrative revocation

 

 

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1    and suspension of licenses and privileges; however,
2    discharge and dismissal under this Section is not a
3    conviction for purposes of disqualification or
4    disabilities imposed by law upon conviction of a crime.
5        (7) Discharge and dismissal under this Section may
6    occur only once with respect to any person.
7        (8) If a person is convicted of an offense under this
8    Act within 5 years subsequent to a discharge and dismissal
9    under this Section, the discharge and dismissal under this
10    Section shall be admissible in the sentencing proceeding
11    for that conviction as a factor in aggravation.
12        (9) The Circuit Clerk shall notify the Illinois State
13    Police of all persons convicted of or placed under
14    probation for violations of Section 2.36a.
15    (c) Any person who violates any of the provisions of
16Sections 2.9, 2.11, 2.16, 2.18, 2.24, 2.25, 2.26, 2.29, 2.30,
172.31, 2.32, 2.33 (except subsections (g), (i), (o), (p), (y),
18and (cc)), 2.33-1, 2.33a, 3.3, 3.4, 3.11 through 3.16, 3.19,
193.20, 3.21 (except subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (f.5),
20(g), (h), and (i)), 3.24, 3.25, and 3.26 (except subsection
21(f)), including administrative rules, shall be guilty of a
22Class B misdemeanor.
23    A person who violates Section 2.33b by using any computer
24software or service to remotely control a weapon that takes
25wildlife by remote operation is guilty of a Class B
26misdemeanor. A person who violates Section 2.33b by

 

 

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1facilitating a violation of Section 2.33b, including an owner
2of land in which remote control hunting occurs, a computer
3programmer who designs a program or software to facilitate
4remote control hunting, or a person who provides weapons or
5equipment to facilitate remote control hunting, is guilty of a
6Class A misdemeanor.
7    Any person who violates any of the provisions of Sections
81.22, 2.2a, 2.3, 2.4, 2.36 and 2.38, including administrative
9rules, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any second or
10subsequent violations of Sections 2.4 and 2.36 shall be a
11Class 4 felony.
12    Any person who violates any of the provisions of this Act,
13including administrative rules, during such period when his
14license, privileges, or permit is revoked or denied by virtue
15of Section 3.36, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
16    Any person who violates subsection (g), (i), (o), (p),
17(y), or (cc) of Section 2.33 shall be guilty of a Class A
18misdemeanor and subject to a fine of no less than $500 and no
19more than $5,000 in addition to other statutory penalties. In
20addition, the Department shall suspend the privileges, under
21this Act, of any person found guilty of violating Section
222.33(cc) for a period of not less than one year.
23    Any person who operates without a permit in violation
24subsection (b) of Section 2.37 is guilty of a Class A
25misdemeanor and subject to a fine of no less than $500 or no
26more than $5,000 for the first offense. Any subsequent

 

 

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1violation is a Class 4 felony. Any other violation of
2subsection (b) of Section 2.37 including administrative rules
3is a Class B misdemeanor.
4    Any person who violates any other of the provisions of
5this Act including administrative rules, unless otherwise
6stated, shall be guilty of a petty offense. Offenses committed
7by minors under the direct control or with the consent of a
8parent or guardian may subject the parent or guardian to the
9penalties prescribed in this Section.
10    In addition to any fines imposed pursuant to the
11provisions of this Section or as otherwise provided in this
12Act, any person found guilty of unlawfully taking or
13possessing any species protected by this Act, shall be
14assessed a civil penalty for such species in accordance with
15the values prescribed in Section 2.36a of this Act. This civil
16penalty shall be imposed by the Circuit Court for the county
17within which the offense was committed at the time of the
18conviction. All penalties provided for in this Section shall
19be remitted to the Department in accordance with the same
20provisions provided for in Section 1.18 of this Act.
21(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
22    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
23becoming law.