Bill > HB564

This bill requires hunters with deer or elk licenses to report their hunting activity to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks by the end of each license year. Hunters who complete their report by February 15 can earn a bonus point for either a deer or elk license, while those who fail to report will be charged an administrative fee between $5 and $50, which must be paid before purchasing their next hunting license. The "hunting activity" report must include details such as harvest success, hunting district locations, hunting dates, and other information the department deems relevant. The department is tasked with developing an electronic system to collect and store these mandatory reports and may create additional rules to implement the reporting requirement. The validation of an electronic tag does not satisfy the reporting requirement, and hunters cannot be charged more than one administrative fee per license year for reporting violations. The bill will become effective on March 1, 2026, and will be integrated into Title 87, chapter 2, part 1 of Montana's legal code.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1970