SB 777: Wildlife; allowing certain harvesting of fish and aquatic species. Effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill version transitioned from the House to the Senate floor, resulting in significant formatting and structural changes while maintaining the core legislative intent. The Senate version consolidates sections, removes committee report information, and adjusts the presentation of amendments to 2 O.S. 2021 and 29 O.S. 2021. The substantive policy provisions regarding wildlife harvesting, game fish definitions, and effective dates remain consistent between versions.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; changes are primarily formatting, structural reorganization, and removal of House-specific committee reports.

TECHNICAL

Removed House-specific header information and committee report from Oversight Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety dated 04/22/2025

Reorganized bill structure to consolidate sections and remove redundant formatting elements from House version

Changed header from 'HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' to 'SENATE FLOOR VERSION' with updated date of February 10, 2025

Removed House committee report and replaced with Senate committee report by Committee on Agriculture and Wildlife

Adjusted line numbering and formatting to match Senate floor presentation standards

SB777 (3-24-25) (JETT) FA3.PDF → Floor (House) · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to clarify rules about mixing wild and farmed aquatic species in Oklahoma, restrict sales of commingled fish, and expand definitions for game fish. The changes shift authority from 'shall' to 'may' for certain department actions, add restrictions on selling fish from public waters that were mixed with private stock, and establish new fees and processes for broodstock transactions. These amendments strengthen oversight of aquaculture operations while allowing more flexibility for licensed producers.

Scope change

The bill now specifically addresses commercial production of aquatic species in recirculating aquaculture systems and adds restrictions on selling fish obtained from public waters that have been commingled with privately produced fish.

REQUIREMENT

Changed language from 'shall' to 'may' for the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry regarding restrictions on gathering aquatic species in commercial operations.

Added prohibition on selling game fish or paddlefish from public waters that were commingled with privately produced fish.

Added restrictions on receiving free aquatic species from state or federal government and requirements for export permits.

Added requirement that import shipments must include valid Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service health certificates.

DEFINITION

Added definition of 'wild-born' to mean fish born in public waters and not introduced through aquaculture.

Expanded definition of 'game fish' to include blue catfish and channel catfish, specifying they mean 'forked tail' catfish.

FISCAL

Authorized the Department to assess fees for broodstock transactions between state and licensed in-state aquatic propagators.

ENFORCEMENT

Added authority for the Department to promulgate rules necessary for implementing the new provisions.

Enrolled (final version) → SB777 (3-13-25) (JETT) FS FA1.PDF · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Oklahoma's wildlife regulations regarding aquatic species, primarily clarifying rules about commingling wild and privately produced fish, updating definitions of game fish, and changing how import fees are assessed. The changes affect commercial fish producers, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and entities importing live fish into Oklahoma.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope by adding a repealer section that removes an existing provision (29 O.S. 2021, Section 6-303.1) and adds a new Section 4 for the effective date, while Section 1 now includes additional subsections for broodstock transactions and import fee assessments.

REQUIREMENT

Updated Section 6-313 to clarify that wild fish and aquatic species cannot be commercially harvested from public waters and sold as wild-born commodities if they have been commingled with privately produced fish.

Added new subsection B.2 prohibiting the sale of game fish or paddlefish obtained from public waters that have been mixed with privately produced fish, with exceptions for broodstock collection in recirculating aquaculture systems.

FISCAL

Changed the Department's authority to assess fees for broodstock transactions from 'may' to 'shall' establish a process, and modified import fee language to require fees for entities selling live fish without valid commercial licenses.

DEFINITION

Added a new Section 2 repealing 29 O.S. 2021, Section 6-303.1, and Section 4 was added to establish the effective date as November 1, 2025.

TECHNICAL

Formatting and structural changes including page numbering, bill header information, and line number references were updated to reflect the floor substitute version.

Introduced → Engrossed · 8 edits · Mar 27, 2025

MODERATE

SB 777 was amended to expand the scope of the aquatic species commingling bill by adding new sections that authorize the Department of Wildlife Conservation to manage certain conditions and transactions, allow the Department of Agriculture to assess import fees for out-of-state producers, and require health certificates for live fish shipments. The bill also modified the definition of 'game fish' to include paddlefish and updated the effective date to November 1, 2025. These changes strengthen regulatory oversight and clarify the rules for commercial aquaculture operations in Oklahoma.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from primarily regulating commingling of aquatic species to include new provisions for inter-state broodstock transactions, import fee assessments, and enhanced definitions of game fish.

REQUIREMENT

New Section C prohibits licensees from receiving free catfish or aquatic species from state or federal government sources.

New Section D authorizes the Department of Wildlife Conservation to establish a process and assess fees for broodstock transactions between the state and licensed aquatic propagators.

New Section E allows the Department of Agriculture to assess import fees for out-of-state entities selling live fish without a valid commercial production license and requires Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service health certificates for shipments.

New restrictions prohibit collecting game and nongame fish broodstock from public waters for use in aquaculture except in recirculating systems, with possession limits tied to recreational fishing licenses.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'game fish' in 29 O.S. 2021, Section 2-115 was expanded to include paddlefish alongside other species.

SCOPE

References to the act's scope were expanded to include Sections 6-311 through 6-317 of the title, broadening the regulatory framework.

REPEALER

Section 5, which repealed 29 O.S. 2021, Section 6-303.1 regarding limitations on paddlefish eggs and products, was removed from the repealer section.

TIMELINE

The effective date was confirmed as November 1, 2025, and the bill was passed by the Senate on March 27, 2025.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 2 edits · May 5, 2025

MINOR

The bill transitioned from an Engrossed version to an Enrolled final version, adding official signatures and certification pages required for state law enactment. The substantive policy content remains unchanged, with no modifications to the actual legislative provisions regarding wildlife management, aquatic species regulations, or definitions. The primary difference is procedural documentation needed to finalize the bill as law.

TECHNICAL

Added Enrolled Senate header and official certification pages including Senate passage date, House passage date, Governor approval section, and Secretary of State certification section required for final enactment.

Removed blank lines and placeholder text from the Engrossed version that was not needed in the final enrolled version.

Wildlife; allowing certain harvesting of fish and aquatic species. Effective date.

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