Florida Senate - 2020 CS for CS for CS for SB 1414
By the Committees on Rules; Agriculture; and Environment and
Natural Resources; and Senator Mayfield
595-04239-20 20201414c3
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to fish and wildlife activities;
3 amending s. 379.105, F.S.; prohibiting certain
4 harassment of hunters, trappers, and fishers within or
5 on public lands or publicly or privately owned
6 wildlife and fish management areas, or in or on public
7 waters; amending s. 379.354, F.S.; authorizing the
8 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to designate
9 additional annual free freshwater and saltwater
10 fishing days; amending s. 379.372, F.S.; prohibiting
11 the keeping, possessing, importing, selling,
12 bartering, trading, or breeding of certain species
13 except for educational, research, or eradication or
14 control purposes; including green iguanas and species
15 of the genera Salvator and Tupinambis in such
16 prohibition; providing that certain persons, firms, or
17 corporations may continue to deal in green iguanas or
18 tegus commercially under certain circumstances;
19 requiring such green iguanas or tegus to be sold
20 outside of this state; prohibiting the import of green
21 iguanas or tegus; requiring the commission to adopt
22 rules that meet certain requirements; reenacting s.
23 379.2311(1), F.S., relating to the definition of the
24 term “priority invasive species,” to incorporate the
25 amendment made to s. 379.372, F.S., in a reference
26 thereto; providing an effective date.
27
28 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
29
30 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 379.105, Florida
31 Statutes, is amended to read:
32 379.105 Harassment of hunters, trappers, or fishers.—
33 (1) A person may not intentionally, within or on any public
34 lands or a publicly or privately owned wildlife management and
35 or fish management areas, area or in or on any public waters
36 state-owned water body:
37 (a) Interfere with or attempt to prevent the lawful taking
38 of fish, game, or nongame animals by another within or on such
39 lands or areas, or in or on such waters.
40 (b) Attempt to disturb fish, game, or nongame animals or
41 attempt to affect their behavior with the intent to prevent
42 their lawful taking by another within or on such lands or areas,
43 or in or on such waters.
44 Section 2. Subsection (15) of section 379.354, Florida
45 Statutes, is amended to read:
46 379.354 Recreational licenses, permits, and authorization
47 numbers; fees established.—
48 (15) FREE FISHING DAYS.—The commission may designate by
49 rule no more than 6 4 consecutive or nonconsecutive days in each
50 year as free freshwater fishing days and no more than 6 4
51 consecutive or nonconsecutive days in each year as free
52 saltwater fishing days. Notwithstanding any other provision of
53 this chapter, a any person may take freshwater fish for
54 noncommercial purposes on a free freshwater fishing day and may
55 take saltwater fish for noncommercial purposes on a free
56 saltwater fishing day, without obtaining or possessing a license
57 or permit or paying a license or permit fee as set forth
58 prescribed in this section. A person who takes freshwater or
59 saltwater fish on a free fishing day must comply with all laws,
60 rules, and regulations governing the holders of a fishing
61 license or permit and all other conditions and limitations
62 regulating the taking of freshwater or saltwater fish as are
63 imposed by law or rule.
64 Section 3. Present paragraphs (b) through (e) of subsection
65 (2) of section 379.372, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
66 paragraphs (c) through (f), respectively, a new paragraph (b) is
67 added to that subsection, and paragraph (a) of that subsection
68 is amended, to read:
69 379.372 Capturing, keeping, possessing, transporting, or
70 exhibiting venomous reptiles, reptiles of concern, conditional
71 reptiles, or prohibited reptiles; license required.—
72 (2)(a) A No person, party, firm, association, or
73 corporation may not shall keep, possess, import into the state,
74 sell, barter, trade, or breed the following species except for
75 educational, research, or eradication or control purposes
76 personal use or for sale for personal use:
77 1. Burmese or Indian python (Python molurus).
78 2. Reticulated python (Python reticulatus).
79 3. Northern African python (Python sebae).
80 4. Southern African python (Python natalensis).
81 5. Amethystine or scrub python (Morelia amethystinus).
82 6. Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus).
83 7. Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus).
84 8. Green iguana (Iguana iguana).
85 9. Tegu lizard (any species of the genera Salvator or
86 Tupinambis).
87 10. Any other reptile designated as a conditional or
88 prohibited species by the commission.
89 (b) If a person, firm, or corporation holds a valid captive
90 wildlife class III exhibition or sale license on January 1,
91 2020, and documented an inventory of green iguanas or tegus on
92 his or her or its 2019 application, the commission may
93 grandfather that person, firm, or corporation so as to allow
94 them to continue dealing in green iguanas or tegus commercially
95 for as long as the license remains active. Such status is void
96 upon any license transfer or lapse. The person, firm, or
97 corporation may only sell such inventory of green iguanas or
98 tegus outside of this state and may not import the species into
99 this state. The commission shall adopt rules that address all of
100 the following:
101 1. Reporting requirements.
102 2. Biosecurity measures to prevent escape of these species.
103 3. Any necessary grandfathering provisions for those
104 persons presently in possession of either a green iguana or a
105 tegu lizard who do not meet the grandfathering provisions of
106 this paragraph.
107 Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
108 made by this act to section 379.372, Florida Statutes, in a
109 reference thereto, subsection (1) of section 379.2311, Florida
110 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
111 379.2311 Nonnative animal management.—
112 (1) As used in this section, the term “priority invasive
113 species” means the following:
114 (a) Lizards of the genus Tupinambis, also known as tegu
115 lizards;
116 (b) Species identified in s. 379.372(2)(a);
117 (c) Pterois volitans, also known as red lionfish; and
118 (d) Pterois miles, also known as the common lionfish or
119 devil firefish.
120 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.