HB287: HB287 Environmental Protection Division; Environmental Advisory Council; update reference date to standards, rules, and regulations

Georgia law sets criminal penalties for violating certain regulations issued by the Board of Natural Resources, but ties those penalties to a fixed snapshot of the rules as they existed on a specific date rather than whatever rules are currently in effect. This bill moves that reference date from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 for environmental protection rules, game and fish rules, and watercraft rules, so more recent regulatory updates can be enforced criminally. The bill also makes several unrelated changes to Georgia's game and fish laws. It broadens a courtesy hunting and fishing license program that previously focused on nonresident disabled veterans, extending eligibility language to paralyzed or disabled people more generally. It changes the age cutoff for a special youth turkey hunting season from 'under 16' to '16 or younger.' It adds new annual fees for resident shellfish harvesting crews, and it makes technical changes to shellfish permit and licensing rules.

• Moves the legal reference date for Board of Natural Resources environmental standards, rules, and regulations used in criminal cases from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 12-2-2).
• Moves the same reference date for game and fish rules and regulations used to establish criminal violations (O.C.G.A. § 27-1-39).
• Moves the same reference date for watercraft rules and regulations used to establish criminal violations (O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26).
• Rewrites the courtesy hunting and fishing license law to cover paralyzed or disabled participants in approved hunting and fishing events, not just nonresident veterans.
• Changes the youth turkey hunting season age requirement from anyone under 16 to anyone who is 16 years of age or younger.
• Adds new annual license fees of $200 for a resident shellfish crew with up to ten harvesters and $400 for one with unlimited harvesters.

Anyone charged under Georgia's environmental, game and fish, or watercraft regulations; paralyzed or disabled hunters and anglers using courtesy licenses; young turkey hunters near age 16; and commercial shellfish harvesting crews who must pay the new license fees.

Updating the reference date lets prosecutors rely on the most current Board of Natural Resources rules when charging environmental, wildlife, or boating violations, rather than a year-old rulebook. The other changes adjust who qualifies for free hunting and fishing licenses, shift a youth hunting age cutoff, and set new costs for shellfish crews.

• Section 1 updates O.C.G.A. § 12-2-2 so criminal violations of Board of Natural Resources standards, rules, and regulations are measured against those in force on January 1, 2025.
• Section 2 makes the identical date update for game and fish rules and regulations under O.C.G.A. § 27-1-39.
• Section 3 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 27-2-4.2 to authorize courtesy resident or nonresident hunting and fishing licenses for paralyzed or disabled participants in approved events, expanding beyond the prior veterans-only nonresident fishing license.
• Section 4 revises O.C.G.A. § 27-2-4.4 to change the youth turkey season eligibility from 'youth under 16 years of age' to 'any person who is 16 years of age or younger.'
• Section 5 adds new resident shellfish crew license fees to O.C.G.A. § 27-2-23: $200 annually for crews of up to ten harvesters and $400 annually for crews with unlimited harvesters.
• Section 6 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-4-190 to clarify licensing requirements for shellfish harvesters, including an exception for harvesters working under a master harvester who has purchased a shellfish crew license.
• Section 7 updates O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26 to move the watercraft rules and regulations reference date to January 1, 2025 for criminal enforcement purposes.

1. 2025-05-13Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-13Act 178
3. 2025-05-13House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-11Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-11Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-03-03Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2025-02-28Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)Primary sponsor
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• John LaHood (R, HD-175)
• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 24, 2025

   171 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #68

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 11, 2025

   50 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #224

• environmental regulations
• hunting and fishing licenses
• game and fish law
• shellfish harvesting
• boating regulations