MS HB1028

Requires the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to develop, implement, and regulate a mandatory electronic harvest reporting program for white-tailed deer and wild turkey using methods such as smartphone applications or web-based reporting systems.

The harvest reporting program must collect and compile data to assist the Legislature and Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks in formulating wildlife conservation policy.

Violations of harvest reporting program laws or regulations constitute a Class II violation subject to fines under Section 49-7-143, with each deer or turkey taken in violation counted as a separate offense.

First-time violators face administrative fees of $100-$500 upon conviction; second and subsequent violators face $500-$1,000 in administrative fees, with collected fees credited to the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

The department shall provide annual reports to the Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives, and the act takes effect July 1, 2018.