BillTrack50 logo
Free Signup Login
Bill

Bill > SB2436

MS SB2436

MS SB2436
Black bear hunting season; require MDWFP to create and issue harvest tags for through a lottery system.

summary

Introduced
01/19/2026
In Committee
02/16/2026
Crossed Over
02/10/2026
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

An Act To Require The Mississippi Department Of Wildlife, Fisheries And Parks To Control, Regulate And Manage The Taking Of All Black Bears; To Require The Department To Create, Set And Regulate A Black Bear Season, Beginning With The 2027-2028 Hunting Season; To Establish Requirements For Residents And Nonresidents To Hunt Or Kill Black Bears; To Direct The Department To Establish A Black Bear Harvest Tag To Hunt Or Kill Black Bears, And To Base The Number Of Such Tags Authorized Each Year On The Mississippi Commission On Wildlife, Fisheries And Parks' Black Bear Population Data; To Require The Department To Establish A Lottery System For Issuance Of Black Bear Harvest Tags And To Reserve One Harvest Tag For Each Hunting Season To Be Reserved As The "governor's Tag"; To Prohibit The Department From Donating Any Harvest Tag(s) Other Than The Governor's Tag Or From Designating Any Number Of Harvest Tags For Any Nonprofit Or For-profit Entity; To Direct The Department To Offer Black Bear Harvest Tags For Residents Beginning With The 2027-2028 Hunting Season; To Authorize The Department To Offer A Certain Number Of Harvest Tags For Nonresidents Beginning With The 2032-2033 Hunting Season; To Set The Penalty For Violations Of This Act; And For Related Purposes.

AI Summary

This bill requires the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) to manage and regulate black bear hunting, establishing a dedicated black bear season starting in 2027-2028. Hunters, both residents and nonresidents, will need a valid Mississippi hunting license and a special black bear harvest tag to hunt or kill a black bear. The number of these harvest tags issued annually will be determined by the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks based on black bear population data. The MDWFP will use a lottery system to issue these tags, with a fee for applications, and all applicants must hold a valid hunting license. Notably, one "Governor's Tag" will be set aside each season for the Governor to donate, potentially for auction to raise funds for black bear conservation, but no other tags can be donated or designated for any entities. Resident harvest tags will be available starting with the 2027-2028 season, while nonresidents may be offered a limited number of tags, no more than ten percent of the total, beginning with the 2032-2033 season. Violating these provisions will result in a Class I violation, with penalties outlined in existing state law.

Committee Categories

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sponsors (6)

Last Action

Title Suff Do Pass (on 02/23/2026)

bill text

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...
Loading...