MS HB1295

Amends Mississippi Code Section 49-7-21 to require courts to assess an administrative fee against residents and nonresidents convicted of hunting, trapping, or fishing without a valid license.

Administrative fee equals the cost of the hunting, trapping, or fishing license that should have been possessed, with the amount entered on the citation by the charging officer.

Court clerks must collect administrative fees and deposit them monthly with the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks account, to be expended upon legislative appropriation.

Residents fined for unlicensed hunting can reduce their $500 fine to $100 by showing proof of a current license at the hearing, or have the case dismissed and court costs waived if they can prove the license was purchased before the violation.

Effective July 1, 2010.