South Carolina General Assembly
125th Session, 2023-2024

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A65, R81, H3538

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Hixon, Nutt, Haddon, Kirby and Forrest
Document Path: LC-0091PH23.docx

Introduced in the House on January 10, 2023
Introduced in the Senate on February 8, 2023
Last Amended on May 10, 2023
Currently residing in the House

Summary: Harvest reporting

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number
12/15/2022 House Prefiled
12/15/2022 House Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
1/10/2023 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 203)
1/10/2023 House Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 203)
2/1/2023 House Committee report: Favorable Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 5)
2/2/2023 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Kirby
2/2/2023 Scrivener's error corrected
2/7/2023 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Forrest
2/7/2023 House Read second time (House Journal-page 42)
2/7/2023 House Roll call Yeas-112 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 43)
2/8/2023 House Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 19)
2/8/2023 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 45)
2/8/2023 Senate Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry (Senate Journal-page 45)
5/3/2023 Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment Fish, Game and Forestry (Senate Journal-page 11)
5/5/2023 Scrivener's error corrected
5/9/2023 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 80)
5/10/2023 Senate Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 21)
5/10/2023 Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 21)
5/10/2023 Senate Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal-page 21)
5/10/2023 Senate Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 21)
5/11/2023 House Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (House Journal-page 40)
5/11/2023 House Roll call Yeas-106 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 40)
5/17/2023 Ratified R 81
5/19/2023 Signed By Governor
5/26/2023 Effective date 07/01/24
5/26/2023 Act No. 65

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/15/2022
02/01/2023
02/02/2023
05/04/2023
05/05/2023
05/10/2023

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A65, R81, H3538)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 50-11-546, RELATING TO ELECTRONIC HARVEST REPORTING, SO AS TO INCLUDE REFERENCES TO BIG GAMES SPECIES AND TO OUTLINE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PERSON WHO TAKES A BIG GAME CARCASS FOR PROCESSING AND OF THE PROCESSOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-11-320, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF TAGS FOR HUNTING AND TAKING DEER, SO AS TO INCLUDE A REFERENCE TO THE ELECTRONIC HARVEST REPORTING SYSTEM; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-11-390, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENTAL AUTHORITY OF GAME ZONES, SO AS TO INCLUDE A REFERENCE TO THE ELECTRONIC HARVEST REPORTING SYSTEM; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 50-9-1120, RELATING TO THE POINT SYSTEM FOR VIOLATIONS, SO AS TO INCLUDE A REFERENCE TO BIG GAME SPECIES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Electronic harvest reporting system

SECTION 1.    Section 50-11-546 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 50-11-546.    (A) In order to document the harvest of big game species and to assist with the enforcement of seasons, methods of harvest, and bag limits, the department must implement an electronic harvest reporting system.

(B) A person who harvests a big game species must report the harvest to the electronic harvest reporting system as prescribed by the department. A harvest report must be submitted by midnight of the day of harvest unless a person is incapable of accessing the reporting system, in which case a report must be submitted prior to the carcass leaving the person's possession.

(C) Upon completion of the harvest reporting process, a harvest report confirmation number will be provided by the department and it must be recorded by the person submitting the harvest report. A person who takes a big game carcass to a processor must provide the tag number and harvest report confirmation number to the processor at the time the carcass transfers from the person to the processor. The processor must record and maintain the harvest report confirmation number until the processed meat is received by the hunter or their designee.

(D) The department must promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this section, including the methods of telephonic and electronic reporting, contents of the report, and recording and maintenance of the harvest report confirmation number.

(E) The department is prohibited from requesting or acquiring the geolocation data of a person submitting a harvest report through electronic means and from requesting a person to self-report location information to the harvest reporting system more specific than the county and wildlife management area, if applicable, in which a big game species is harvested.

(F) There is no cost to a person for reporting a harvest, and the department may exempt the harvest reporting requirement for persons who harvest big game species under specific conditions or department programs.

(G) A person who violates this section or provisions established by the department for electronic harvest reporting is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than twenty-five dollars.

Issuance of tags for hunting and taking deer

SECTION 2.    Section 50-11-320(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(B)(1) Deer taken pursuant to individual deer tags, during any season regardless of weapon, must be tagged with a valid individual deer tag. Each tag must be attached to the deer as prescribed by the department before the animal is moved from the point of kill.

(2) Deer taken pursuant to Deer Quota Program tags must be tagged with a valid Deer Quota Program tag and reported to the electronic harvest reporting system pursuant to the provisions of Section 50-11-546. Each tag must be attached to the deer as prescribed by the department before the animal is moved from the point of kill.

Departmental authority over game zones

SECTION 3.    Section 50-11-390(D) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(D) Deer taken pursuant to a Deer Quota Program permit must be tagged with a valid Deer Quota Program tag and reported to the electronic harvest reporting system pursuant to the provisions of Section 50-11-546. Each tag must be attached to the deer as prescribed by the department before the animal is moved from the point of kill.

Point system for violations

SECTION 4.    Section 50-9-1120(2)(t) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(t) failing to report the harvest of big game species as required by Section 50-11-546: 6.

Time effective

SECTION 5.    This act takes effect on July 1, 2024.

Ratified the 17th day of May, 2023.

Approved the 19th day of May, 2023.

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This web page was last updated on June 15, 2023 at 12:03 PM