2006 
            Legislative Bills

Bill Number

Bill Nickname

Pro / Anti

Status

Details

Nickname:

Howard County - Steel Jaw Leghold Trap Prohibition Ho. Co. 7-06

Pro / Anti:

Anti-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Adding Howard County to the counties in which the use, setting, placement, and maintenance of steel jaw leghold traps on land is prohibited.
 

Current Status:

1/30

2/7

3/23

3/21

3/23

4/6

3/24

3/28

4/6

4/3

4/4

4/6

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-465: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Natural Resources - Black Bear Hunt - Prohibition

Pro / Anti:

Anti-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Classifying black bears as nongame mammals; prohibiting the Department of Natural Resources from reducing the black bear population in the State with specified exceptions; and prohibiting the Department from establishing an open season to hunt black bears.
 

Current Status:

2/10

2/15

3/14

2/3

2/8

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-1157: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Anne Arundel County - Deer Hunting on Private Lands - Sundays

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Removing Anne Arundel County from the list of counties in which deer hunting on private lands on Sundays is prohibited.
 

Current Status:

HB-205:

1/25

SB-278:

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-205: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Montgomery County - Deer Hunting on Private Lands - Sundays MC 602-06

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Removing Montgomery County from the list of counties in which deer hunting on private lands on specified Sundays is prohibited; requiring the Department of Natural Resources to conduct specified studies; and providing for the termination of the Act.
 

Current Status:

HB-939:

2/9

2/15

SB-875:

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-939: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Natural Resources - Hunting Wild Waterfowl - Harford and Baltimore Counties

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Altering the distance from 800 to 400 yards that a person must be from shore when hunting wild waterfowl in the waters of Harford and Baltimore counties while the person is standing in water on the natural bottom, in a boat that is drifting or being sculled, or in a boat that is anchored.
 

Current Status:

2/10

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-1207: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Natural Resources - Hunting Via an Internet Connection - Prohibition

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Prohibiting a person from shooting at or killing a bird or animal in the State with a gun or other device operated or accessed via an Internet connection; providing that specified actions are prima facie evidence of a violation of the Act; establishing a specified penalty; requiring the revocation of the hunting license of a person who is convicted of an offense under the Act; etc.
 

Current Status:

2/3

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

SB-521: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Hunting - Computer-Assisted Remote Hunting - Prohibition

Pro / Anti:

Anti-Sportsmen Bill Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Prohibiting computer-assisted remote hunting; prohibiting the possession of any bird or mammal captured or killed by or with the assistance of computer-assisted remote hunting; and requiring the Department of Natural Resources to revoke all hunting licenses issued to a person who violates the Act.  The MSA opposes HB-968 because of the term "computer-assisted". Such vague wording could outlaw present and future devices used by hunters, especially disabled hunters. The MSA supports SB-521 that would ban "Internet" hunting.

Update 3/27: HB-968 has been amended to match SB-521, changing the words for "computer assisted" to "Internet hunting". For this reason, the MSA now supports HB-968

Current Status:

2/10

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-968: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Department of Natural Resources - Motorized Vessels - Driver's License Information

Pro / Anti:

Anti-Sportsmen Bill (Amended, no longer an issue)

Details:

Requiring the Department of Natural Resources to coordinate with the Motor Vehicle Administration to develop a specified database; requiring the Department to develop and implement a program to require owners of motorized vessels to obtain a specified affidavit from a person to whom they are renting, leasing, or lending the vessel, or whom they otherwise are allowing to operate the vessel; etc. Plain English: If you loan your boat out to someone, you must swear that the person's automobile license is not revoked. The DNR and MVA would have to build a database to track.
Update 3/28: This bill has been amended, and no longer includes any of the original threats. The text about affidavits and databases has been struck out. The bill now addresses repeat offenders of boating laws.
 

Current Status:

2/2

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-666: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Natural Resources - Motorized Vessels - Insurance

Pro / Anti:

Details:

Prohibiting the Department of Natural Resources from issuing a specified certificate of number to the owner of a vessel unless the owner of the vessel furnishes evidence satisfactory to the Department of a specified liability insurance policy on the vessel or specified coverage on the owner's homeowner's policy; requiring the insurance policy to provide for payment up to at least $10,000 for claims arising out of an accident for bodily injury, death, or damage to or destruction of the property of another; etc.
 

Current Status:

2/6

2/8

3/13

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-751: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Natural Resources - Lifetime Complimentary Hunter's Licenses - Veterans

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Altering the duration of a complimentary hunter's license for 100% service connected disabled veterans and former POWs from 1 year to the lifetime of the licensee.
 

Current Status:

1/25

House: First Reading Environmental Matters

1/25

2/1

3/7

3/8

3/10

3/31

3/14

3/15

3/31

3/29

3/30

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-282: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Hunting Licenses - Exemptions from License Requirement

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill, Amended and became Anti-Sportsmen

Details:

Adding to the list of eligible persons for exemptions from a hunting license requirement by allowing specified relatives of an owner of farmland to hunt without a license.
 

Current Status:

1/26

House: First Reading Environmental Matters

2/1

3/7

3/8

3/10

3/13

Senate: First Reading Education Health and Environmental Affairs

3/15

3/31

3/29

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-330: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Hunting - Exemptions from License and Stamp Requirement

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Altering the list of persons eligible for exemptions from the requirement to obtain a hunting license and stamp; and including bow and arrow and black powder stamps in the exemption.
 

Current Status:

2/3

Senate: First Reading Education Health and Environmental Affairs

2/8

3/8

3/9

3/13

4/6

3/14

3/20

4/5

4/1

4/2

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

SB-766: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll

Nickname:

Declaration of Rights - Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Pro / Anti:

Pro-Sportsmen Bill

Details:

Establishing a constitutional right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home, and State, and for hunting and recreational use; and submitting the amendment to the qualified voters of the State of Maryland for their adoption or rejection.
 

Current Status:

2/1

First Reading Judiciary

2/15

Action to Take:

Bill Texts:

HB-529: First Reading, Third Reading, Enrolled, House Roll, Senate Roll