SB 375 Summary

• Establishes the hunting, fishing, and trapping commission with authority over fish and wildlife laws, consisting of seven members including a wildlife biologist, state veterinarian, and five sportsmen appointed by the governor (one from each of five wildlife districts).

• Requires fish and wildlife rules to be approved by the hunting, fishing, and trapping commission and receive final approval from the department of natural resources director; commission can override director veto with two-thirds vote.

• Provides commission authority to establish fees for hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and related services, and review and approve, amend, or reject proposed rules.

• Repeals the advisory council to the bureau of water and resource regulation and the bureau of lands and cultural resources, and removes references to that council throughout the Indiana Code.

• Changes natural resources commission membership to include the chairperson of the hunting, fishing, and trapping commission instead of the previous advisory council chair; effective July 1, 2012.