New Jersey A 141: Clarifies that Fish and Game Council has sole authority to regulate freshwater fishing, hunting, and trapping.

Bill Text

A141 

ASSEMBLY, No. 141 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman DAWN FANTASIA

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

Assemblyman MICHAEL INGANAMORT

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

SYNOPSIS

���� Clarifies that Fish and Game Council has sole 
authority to regulate freshwater fishing, hunting, and trapping.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act 
concerning the Fish and Game Council, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, and 
the Department of Environmental Protection, amending various parts of the 
statutory law, and supplementing Title 23 of the Revised Statutes.

���� Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 25 of P.L.1948, 
c.448 (C.13:1B-23) is amended to read as follows:

���� 25.� All of the functions, 
powers and duties of the Division of Fish and Game of the existing State 
Department of Conservation, [of the Fish and Game 
Council therein,] and of the State Commissioner 
of Conservation relating to or administered through [said] that division, herein transferred to the 
Department of Conservation and Economic Development, are hereby assigned to, 
and shall be exercised and performed through, the Division of Fish and Game in 
the department.

(cf: P.L.1948, c.448, s.25)

���� 2.��� Section 26 of P.L.1948, 
c.448 (C.13:1B-24) is amended to read as follows:

���� 26.� There shall be within , 
but not of, the Division of Fish [, Game] and Wildlife, a Fish and Game Council which shall 
consist of 11 members, each of whom shall be chosen with due regard to [his] the member's 
knowledge of and interest in the conservation of fish and game.� Each member of 
the council shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of 
the Senate.� Three of [such] the members shall be farmers, recommended to 
the Governor for appointment to the council by the agricultural convention held 
pursuant to the provisions of article 2 of chapter 1 of Title 4 of the Revised 
Statutes; six of [such] 
the members shall be sportsmen, recommended to the Governor for 
appointment to the council by the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's 
Clubs; one of [such] 
the members shall be the [chairman] chairperson of the committee established 
pursuant to section 7 of [the "Endangered] "The Endangered and Nongame Species 
Conservation [Act" (P.L.1973, c.309; 
C.23:2A-7)] Act," P.L.1973, c.309 
(C.23:2A-7) , and one of [such] the members shall be a person knowledgeable 
in land use management and soil conservation practices.� One of [such] the farmer 
representatives and two of [such] the sportsmen representatives in the council 
shall be chosen from among residents of any of the following counties--Bergen, 
Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren; one of [such] the farmer 
representatives and two of [such] the sportsmen 

representatives in the council 
shall be chosen from among residents 

of any of the following 
counties--Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union; 
and one of [such] the 
farmer representatives and two of [such] the 
sportsmen representatives shall be chosen from among residents of any of the 
following counties--Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, 
Gloucester and Salem.

���� Each member of the council 
shall be appointed for a term of [4] four years and shall serve until his 
successor has been appointed and has qualified.

(cf: P.L.1979, c.199, s.72)

���� 3.��� Section 29 of P.L.1948, 
c.448 (C.13:1B-27) is amended to read as follows:

���� 29.� The Division of Fish and [Game] Wildlife 
shall be under the immediate supervision of a director, who shall be a person 
with special training and experience in [wild 
life] wildlife management and otherwise 
qualified to direct the work of [such] the division.�� The director of [such] the 
division shall be appointed by the Fish and Game Council, subject to the 
approval of the Governor, and shall, unless sooner removed by the Governor as 
hereinafter provided, serve at the pleasure of [such] the council and until the director's 
successor is appointed and has qualified.� [He] The director shall receive such salary as 
shall be provided by law.

���� The director shall administer 
the work of [such] 
the division under the direction and supervision of the commissioner , 
except, with respect to implementation of the State Fish and Game Code and any 
comprehensive policies concerned therewith adopted or formulated by the Fish 
and Game Council, the director shall be under the direction of the Fish and 
Game Council.

(cf: P.L.1948, c.448, s.29)

���� 4.��� Section 30 of P.L.1948, 
c.448 (C.13:1B-28) is amended to read as follows:

���� 30.� a.� In addition to 
its powers and duties otherwise hereinafter provided in sections 31 through 
41 of P.L.1948, c.448 (C.13:1B-29 et al.) , the Fish and G