Mandatory Harvest Reporting Bills – Legislative Update

House bill 1390 has passed the House.  The Senate’s companion bill (SB 2922) was amended, and then tabled subject to call.

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/…/history/HB/HB1390.xml is the House Bill and http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/…/history/SB/SB2922.xml is the Senate bill. You can view the bills, amendments and history on those links.

SB 2922 as originally introduced and the Committee substitute required harvests to be reported within 72 hours.  It was subsequently amended to provide a five day reporting period.  The bill was tabled after the amendment.

HB 1390 that has passed the House does not have a time limit for harvest reporting and provides:

8 SECTION 1. Section 49-7-26, Mississippi Code of 1972, is
9 amended as follows:
10 49-7-26. (1) (a) The Mississippi Department of Wildlife,
11 Fisheries and Parks * * * shall develop, implement and regulate
12 a * * * mandatory harvest reporting program for white-tailed deer
13 or wild turkey or both. The purpose of this program is to collect
14 and compile harvest data * * * of such quality and quantity as to
15 be able to assist the Legislature and the commission in
16 formulating the wildlife resource conservation policy for the
17 State of Mississippi.
18 (b) * * * The harvest reporting program shall be simple
19 to use by sportsmen so as to promote compliance and accurate
20 reporting. The program may include, but is not limited to, such

21 means as a mobile smartphone application, online web-based
22 reporting, or such other electronic or digital method(s) as will
23 promote ease of use.
24 (c) The department shall provide an annual report for
25 the harvest reporting program to the Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
26 Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
27 * * *
28 ( * * *2) Each deer or turkey taken or possessed in
29 violation of the * * * harvest reporting program is a separate
30 offense.
31 SECTION 2. Funds appropriated to the Mississippi Department
32 of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks shall not be expended on a
33 tagging program.
34 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from
35 and after March 1, 2019.

People continue to refer to both of these as “tagging” bills.  Neither provides for tags and specifically prohibit the MDWFP from using appropriated funds on a tagging program.  If you feel strongly one way or the other, now is the time to let your Senators and Representatives know.