Maryland HB 1465: Kent County - Archery Hunting - Safety Zone

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
           *hb1465*   
  
HOUSE BILL 1465 
M2   2lr3286 
    CF SB 982 
By: Delegates Jacobs, Arentz, and Ghrist 
Introduced and read first time: February 25, 2022 
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Kent County – Archery Hunting – Safety Zone 2 
 
FOR the purpose of altering the size of the safety zone for archery hunters in Kent County 3 
within   which   archery   hunting   may   not   take   place   except under   certain 4 
circumstances; and generally relating to archery hunting in Kent County. 5 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6 
 Article – Natural Resources 7 
Section 10–410(g) 8 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 9 
 (2012 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 10 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12 
 
Article – Natural Resources 13 
 
10–410. 14 
 
 (g) (1) Except  as  provided  in  paragraphs  (2)  and  (3)  of  this  subsection,  a 15 
person, other than the owner or occupant, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal may 16 
not shoot or discharge any firearm or other deadly weapon within 150 yards, known as the 17 
“safety zone”, of a dwelling house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by 18 
human beings, or shoot at any wild bird or mammal while it is within this area, without 19 
the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant. 20 
 
  (2) A person, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal, may not shoot or 21 
discharge any firearm within 300 yards of a public or nonpublic school during school hours 22 
or at a time when a school–approved activity is taking place. 23 
 
  (3) (i) For archery hunters in Allegany County, Calvert County, Carroll 24 

2 HOUSE BILL 1465  
 
 
County,  Cecil  County,  Frederick  County,  Garrett  County,  Harford  County,  Montgomery 1 
County, St. Mary’s County, or Washington County, the safety zone described in paragraph 2 
(1) of this subsection extends for 50 yards from a dwelling house, residence, church, or any 3 
other building or camp occupied by human beings. 4 
 
   (ii) FOR ARCHERY  HUNTERS  IN KENT COUNTY, THE  SAFETY 5 
ZONE DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION EXTENDS FOR 75 YARDS 6 
FROM  A  DWELLING  HOUSE, RESIDENCE, CHURCH, OR  ANY  OTHER  BUILDING  OR 7 
CAMP OCCUPIED BY HUMAN BEINGS. 8 
 
   (III) For  archery  hunters  in  Anne  Arundel  County,  the  safety  zone 9 
described in paragraph (1) of this subsection extends for 100 yards from a dwelling house, 10 
residence, church, or any other building or camp occupied by human beings. 11 
 
  (4) During  any  open  hunting  season,  a  person,  other  than  the  owner  or 12 
occupant, may not hunt or chase willfully any wild bird or mammal within the safety zone 13 
without the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant. 14 
 
  (5) In  Harford  County,  an  archery  hunter  shall  use  a  tree  stand  when 15 
hunting any wild bird or mammal within 50 to 100 yards of a dwelling house, residence, 16 
church, public or nonpublic school, or other building or camp occupied by human beings. 17 
 
  (6) In Montgomery County or Washington County, an archery hunter shall 18 
be in an elevated position that allows the hunter to shoot in a downward trajectory when 19 
hunting any wild bird or mammal within 50 to 100 yards of a dwelling house, residence, 20 
church, public or nonpublic school, or other building or camp occupied by human beings. 21 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 22 
1, 2022. 23