Senate passes bill joining Rhode Island to Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact

Cathie Rumsey bill goes on to the House

Senator Rumsey

STATE HOUSE – The Senate has passed legislation that would make Rhode Island the 40th member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a legal agreement between states that promotes uniform wildlife law enforcement across state boundaries.

For hunters, trappers, anglers convicted of wildlife violations, the compact will help ease the undue burden of the legal process, says Sen. Catherine Cool Rumsey (D-Dist. 34, Exeter, Charlestown, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich), who introduced the bill in the Senate at the request of the Department of Environmental Management.

“The outdoors doesn’t observe state boundaries. Our outdoorsmen and women should be able to hunt, fish, and trap without running into interstate legal inefficiencies,” said Senator Cool Rumsey. “Coming from a rural district, this is especially important to my constituents who hold hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses. Joining the compact will help unify wildlife law across states, and will create a fair and expedient process for those cited for violations.”

Under the compact, a person who is cited for a wildlife violation such as a fishing or hunting infraction in a state other than their own faces a number of legal hurdles. He or she is either required to post bond or collateral immediately, stay in custody until bond or collateral is posted or go to court for an immediate appearance.

However, a person cited for a violation in their home state can accept the citation at the scene and be immediately on their way. With the addition of the compact, a person cited for a violation in any member state would be treated as a resident of that state, and would be allowed to take their citation on-site and be on their way.

Additionally under the compact, license suspensions in one member state could be recognized by all other member states. If a person loses a hunting license in Rhode Island, for example, all other member states can treat this as if the person lost the license in their state as well.

As the compact says, these measures are intended to make the administration of wildlife law more efficient, so that officers can spend more time patrolling and less time processing violators.

Senator Cool Rumsey’s legislation (2013-S 814Aaa) is cosponsored by Sen. Stephen R. Archambault (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, North Providence, Johnston), Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, East Greenwich, West Greenwich) and Sen. Paul W. Fogarty (D-Dist. 23, Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield).

Before passage in the Senate on June 4, the bill was approved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture on May 22. Companion legislation in the House (2013-H 5764) was introduced by Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick).