SB3184 Summary

• Conservation Police Officers hired after July 1, 2022 must be at least 21 years old or 20 with an associate's degree or 60 college credits; those hired with college credits cannot carry firearms or make arrests until age 21.

• Expands illegal fishing methods to specifically include air rifles and blow guns, and clarifies that dip nets, casting nets, and shad scoops may be used only for specific fish species with size and location restrictions.

• Adds authority to suspend or revoke hunting and fishing licenses for violations of federal law involving protected wildlife or aquatic life when violations occurred in Illinois.

• Amends Wildlife Code to replace "airgun" with "air rifle," expands prohibited lighting devices for hunting to include infrared and thermal imaging, and allows use of unmanned aircraft by utilities for facility inspection.

• Increases minimum specie value thresholds for felony wildlife trafficking charges from $300/$600 to $500/$700 for most species, and from $1,000 to $3,000 for high-value species like eagles and antlered deer.