HB 2603: hunting; fishing; license; deferred prosecution - Arizona

Senate Engrossed Version → Chaptered Version · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was formally enacted and chaptered into law, transitioning from a draft version to an approved legislative text. The substantive content remains largely the same, with minor formatting adjustments and the addition of specific provisions regarding deferred prosecution agreements and wildlife waste penalties.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains unchanged as it continues to govern hunting, fishing, and license regulations under Arizona's Game and Fish Commission.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was formatted and finalized for official publication, changing the header from 'Senate Engrossed Version' to 'Chaptered Version' with official approval dates.

REQUIREMENT

New subsections were added to Section 17-340 detailing specific conditions for license revocation related to deferred prosecution agreements, including requirements to complete training and pay civil penalties.

Specific provisions were added regarding penalties for wasting edible portions of game, distinguishing between different types of wildlife and body parts.

ENFORCEMENT

Minor text corrections were made throughout, such as changing 'ALLOW' to 'allow' and adjusting capitalization for consistency.

House Engrossed Version → Senate Engrossed Version · 4 edits · Mar 31, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends Arizona's wildlife laws to clarify and strengthen penalties for hunting violations, particularly regarding big game taken during closed seasons and unlawful trafficking. The changes streamline statutory language for readability while expanding enforcement provisions to address repeat offenders and deferred prosecution scenarios more comprehensively.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on Arizona Revised Statutes 17-309 and 17-340, but enforcement provisions for repeat violations and deferred prosecution agreements have been broadened to include combinations of convictions and adjudications.

ENFORCEMENT

Penalty language for big game taken during closed seasons was clarified to explicitly include possession, transport, and purchase of unlawfully taken big game as class 1 misdemeanors.

Revocation provisions for repeat offenders were expanded to include any combination of convictions, deferred prosecution agreements, or adjudications that constitute a second or third final disposition, rather than requiring separate agreements or adjudications.

TECHNICAL

Removed bracketed text regarding specific conditions for license revocation termination after deferred prosecution programs, likely indicating these provisions were superseded or removed from the statutory language.

Standardized formatting and line breaks throughout the statute text to improve readability and consistency between House and Senate versions.

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version · 4 edits · Mar 31, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends Arizona's game and fish commission statutes to clarify and expand provisions related to license revocation, suspension, and deferred prosecution agreements. The changes primarily add new language regarding termination of license revocations after successful completion of deferred prosecution programs and clarify penalties for repeat offenses.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of license revocation provisions by adding specific conditions under which a license revocation can be terminated after a deferred prosecution agreement is successfully completed.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new subsections detailing when an active license revocation terminates after a licensee completes a deferred prosecution program, including requirements to complete training and pay civil penalties.

Modified penalty language for second and third offenses to explicitly include entering deferred prosecution agreements as triggering longer revocation periods.

Corrected grammatical errors and clarified language regarding civil penalty payment requirements in the license denial provisions.

TECHNICAL

Added lettered subsections (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i) to organize existing provisions within the statute for better readability.

hunting; fishing; license; deferred prosecution

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