New Hampshire HB 589: defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.

Bill Text

HB 589-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

 25-0769

 08/09

HOUSE BILL 589-FN

AN ACT defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.

SPONSORS: Rep. Schultz, Merr. 29; Rep. D. Paige, Carr. 1; Rep. Moffett, Merr. 4; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5

COMMITTEE: Fish and Game and Marine Resources

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ANALYSIS

 This bill defines and prohibits wanton animal waste and prohibits certain wildlife hunting contests.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 25-0769

 08/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Paragraph; Wanton Waste; Definition. Amend RSA 207:1 by inserting after paragraph XXIX the following new paragraph:

 XXIX-a. Wanton waste: The act of intentionally leaving a wounded or killed animal in the field or forest without making a reasonable effort to retrieve and render it for consumption or use. "Wanton waste" shall not apply to animals that are diseased, and thus unfit for consumption or use, or grossly mutilated, and thus rendered unfit for consumption or use, nor to animals on privately owned property taken in the defense of person or property under RSA 207:26 or RSA 207:30.

 2 New Section; General Fish and Game Provisions; Wanton Waste. Amend RSA 207 by inserting after section 3-e the following new section:

 207:3-f Wanton Waste.

 I. No person shall commit wanton waste of a wild animal that has been wounded or killed by that person while hunting. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a violation.

 II. This section shall not abridge enforcement actions taken pursuant to RSA 212-A, RSA 207:5, or RSA 211:1. This section shall not apply to wildlife conservation officers, licensed trappers for removal of nuisance animals, persons acting under a pre-damage kill permit, persons acting under a depredation permit, persons acting for scientific purposes under a scientific permit, or persons acting pursuant to RSA 207:22-c, III or RSA 206:26.

 III. The executive director shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, regarding the applicability of this section to hunting and fishing in the state.

 3 New Section; Wildlife Killing Contests Prohibited. Amend RSA 208 by inserting after section 1-e the following new section:

 208:1-f Wildlife Killing Contests Prohibited. 

 I. No person shall organize, promote, solicit participation in, or participate in any contest that is created specifically for participants to take any wildlife species whose seasons or bag limits are regulated by the fish and game commission. In this section, "contest" means any organized or sponsored competition consisting of 2 or more persons where prizes of cash, goods, or other inducements are awarded for taking of individuals of any covered species.

 II. This section shall not apply to any lawful manner of taking, open season time limits, permitted scientific investigations, or wildlife management practices authorized under title XVIII or administrative rules adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A.

 III. This section shall not apply to contests comparing sizes and other metrics of registered white tail deer and wild turkeys for the purpose of ranking those harvested each year.

 IV. This section shall not apply to fishing derbies which have been permitted by the fish and game commission.

 V. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor. 

 VI. The executive director shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A, to implement this section. 

 4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.

 LBA

 25-0769

 1/4/25

HB 589-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT defining and prohibiting wanton animal waste and prohibiting certain wildlife hunting contests.

FISCAL IMPACT: 

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

 Revenue

$0

$0 

$0 

$0 

 Revenue Fund

None

 Expenditures*

Indeterminable

 Funding Source

General Fund

 Appropriations*

$0 

$0 

$0 

$0 

 Funding Source

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

 Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

 County Revenue

$0 

$0 

$0 

$0 

 County Expenditures

Indeterminable

 Local Revenue

$0 

$0 

$0 

$0 

 Local Expenditures

Indeterminable

METHODOLOGY:

This bill adds, deletes,