SPONSOR:	Sen. McBride & Rep. Paradee & Rep. Heffernan
	Sens. Blevins, Cloutier, Lavelle, Lopez, Marshall, McDowell, Peterson, Poore, Simpson, Sokola, Townsend, Venables, Lawson, Hocker; Reps. Bennett, Bolden, Brady, Q. Johnson, Mulrooney, B. Short, Dukes, K. Williams

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

147th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 117

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WILDLIFE.

WHEREAS, the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact has been adopted by 39 states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; and

WHEREAS, becoming a participant to the Compact will enhance the State of Delaware’s ability to protect and manage wildlife and fishery resources by improving its ability to address illegal activities; and

WHEREAS, becoming a participant to the Compact will enable the State of Delaware to recognize the suspension of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses in member states.

NOW THEREFORE:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Chapter 7, Title 7 of the Delaware Code by making insertions as shown by underlining and deletions as shown by strike through as follows:

§726 Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact

(1) The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is an interstate agreement between member states to enhance the compliance with the hunting, fishing, and other wildlife laws of member states, and provides for the fair and impartial treatment of wildlife and fisheries violators.

(2) The Board of Compact Administrators has set forth prescribed requirements and procedures for any state to become a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact within the established Bylaws and Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact Operations Manual.

(3) Through this statute, the State of Delaware directs and empowers the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Fish and Wildlife to enact all provisions of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.

(4) DNREC is charged to adopt and begin implementation of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact set forth in the Compact, Bylaws and Operations Manual, and to further recognize all current and future members states legally empowered as members of the Compact on or before July 1, 2016. DNREC shall notify the General Assembly if an extension is necessary for a maximum of three years due to technological capacity challenges that preclude timely implementation of the Compact.

(5) The State of Delaware by representation through DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will make a formal application to the Chairman and Board of Administrators of the Interstate Wildlife Violation Compact to receive full admission, authority, and representation as an official member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.

SYNOPSIS

The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (IWVC) is a nationwide law enforcement network aimed at preventing lawbreakers who have lost their hunting, fishing, and/or trapping privileges in one state due to egregious crimes, such as poaching against wildlife or fisheries resources, from carrying out those activities in other states.  By joining 39 other compact states in this agreement, Delaware would gain access to license suspensions in other compact states and allow license suspensions in our own state to be shared with compact states.   The sharing of license suspensions works as a deterrent, preventing those convicted of egregious wildlife and fisheries crimes in other states from repeating the same crimes in Delaware and vice versa.  The IWVC is managed through an electronic database and this legislation would enable DNREC to become a Compact member and implement Compact provisions on or before July 1, 2016. Recognizing the uncertainty that exists with funding, capacity, and technological challenges, DNREC may apply to the General Assembly if an extension is necessary for a maximum of three years from the July 1, 2016 deadline.

Author: Senator McBride