Fifth District Federation of Kentucky Sportsmen

The following is a Bill proposed to the State Senate (SB-64)  for modifications to the KDFWR. This change would make several interesting changes.

1. All Commission Members Must be approved by the State Senate.
2. A comission member may only serve 2 terms.  (Doc Rich would no longer be the 5th District Comissioner)
3. If you own a motor boat you will be unable to vote for comimissioner (I guess boat owners have no rights)
4. Places restrictions on COnservation Officers and how they are utilized. (They cannot enforce Non Wildlife laws)
5. The big one - Make money collected from boating licenses separate from other KDFWR funds. This would probably allow the state to make claims on that money for non KDFWR programs (such as paying Senators) and not risk the loss of Pittman-Robertson Act for matching funds.

SB 64 (BR 868) - G. Tapp, J. Pendleton, E. Tori
AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Amend KRS 150.022 to subject appointments to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission to confirmation by the Senate; permit reappointment to the commission one time; prohibit appointment to the commission if convicted of a Class A misdemeanor or felony game law violation in any state or any jurisdiction; require the Governor to remove any commissioner if he or she was convicted of a Class A misdemeanor or felony game law violation in any state or any jurisdiction; remove eligibility of resident motorboat owners to vote for a commissioner in sportsmen's district election; amend KRS 150.150 to prohibit commingling of moneys in the Fish and Game Fund and require moneys be kept according to generally accepted accounting principles; amend KRS 150.061 to delete the indefinite term of employment and require a defined contract term of employment for the commissioner of Fish and Wildlife which is subject to removal or reappointment by the commission; require the commission to approve compensation, duties and terms of employment of the commission's employees; amend KRS 150.090 to require conservation officers to have full peace officer powers with restrictions to enforce fish and game laws only, except when there is a written request for assistance by another law enforcement agency and the commissioner has determined the fiscal impact on the department' resources or if there is an immediate life-threatening situation; restrict conservation officers service of process unrelated to enforcement of fish and game laws; require requests for assistance for periods longer than thirty days to have the approval of the commission and for assistance with commission approval to have a limited duration of thirty days; amend KRS 235.330 to require moneys collected under the boating chapters to be kept under different accounts in the Fish and Game Fund and not to be commingled with other funds; delete use of general fund appropriations for the Division of Law Enforcement.

Jan 5-introduced in Senate
Jan 6-to Natural Resources and Energy (S)