1     
WILDLIFE MODIFICATIONS

2     
2015 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Chief Sponsor: Margaret Dayton

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House Sponsor: Mike K. McKell

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7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill amends provisions related to the release of wildlife.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     establishes criminal penalties for the release, under certain circumstances, of
13     wildlife listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act; and
14          ▸     makes technical changes.
15     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16          None
17     Other Special Clauses:
18          None
19     Utah Code Sections Affected:
20     AMENDS:
21          23-13-14, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1986, Chapter 76
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23     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24          Section 1. Section 23-13-14 is amended to read:
25          23-13-14. Release of wildlife unlawful -- Penalty.
26          [It is unlawful for any person to release any]
27          (1) A person may not release a live terrestrial or aquatic wildlife into the wild except as
28     provided in this title[. Any] and rules and regulations established by the Wildlife Board in
29     accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
30          (2) Except as provided in Subsection (3), a person who violates [the provisions of this
31     section] Subsection (1) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
32          (3) A person who knowingly and without lawful authority imports, transports, or
33     releases a live species of wildlife that the person knows is listed as threatened or endangered, or
34     is a candidate to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq., with
35     the intent to establish the presence of that species in an area of the state not currently known to
36     be occupied by a reproducing population of that species is guilty of a third degree felony.