Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format
A254, R301, H4543
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Southard, R.L. Ott, Jefferson, H.A. Crawford, M.S. McLeod, Vick, Hardwick, Williams, Robinson-Simpson, George, Daning, Munnerlyn, Long, Crosby, Felder, Gagnon, Hayes, Hixon, Howard, Norman, Stavrinakis, V.S. Moss and Knight
Document Path: l:\council\bills\swb\5067cm14.docx
Introduced in the House on January 22, 2014
Introduced in the Senate on March 5, 2014
Last Amended on May 28, 2014
Passed by the General Assembly on June 3, 2014
Governor's Action: June 6, 2014, Signed
Summary: Blue Catfish
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/22/2014 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 14)
1/22/2014 House Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources
and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 14)
1/23/2014 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: V.S.Moss
2/26/2014 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Agriculture,
Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(House Journal-page 1)
2/27/2014 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Knight
3/4/2014 House Amended (House Journal-page 33)
3/4/2014 House Read second time (House Journal-page 33)
3/4/2014 House Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-4 (House Journal-page 33)
3/5/2014 House Read third time and sent to Senate
(House Journal-page 11)
3/5/2014 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)
3/5/2014 Senate Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry
(Senate Journal-page 9)
5/15/2014 Senate Committee report: Majority favorable, minority
unfavorable Fish, Game and Forestry
(Senate Journal-page 8)
5/22/2014 Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 37)
5/23/2014 Scrivener's error corrected
5/28/2014 Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 57)
5/28/2014 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 57)
5/28/2014 Senate Roll call Ayes-41 Nays-1 (Senate Journal-page 57)
5/29/2014 Scrivener's error corrected
5/29/2014 Senate Read third time and returned to House with amendments
(Senate Journal-page 48)
6/3/2014 House Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
(House Journal-page 61)
6/3/2014 House Roll call Yeas-101 Nays-1 (House Journal-page 62)
6/5/2014 Ratified R 301
6/6/2014 Signed By Governor
6/13/2014 Effective date See Act for Effective Date
6/19/2014 Act No. 254
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
1/22/2014
2/26/2014
3/4/2014
5/15/2014
5/22/2014
5/23/2014
5/28/2014
5/29/2014
(A254, R301, H4543)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-13-640, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF BLUE CATFISH, SO AS TO DECREASE THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF A BLUE CATFISH THAT MAY BE TAKEN ON CERTAIN BODIES OF WATER, TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CHANGE, TO ESTABLISH THE DAILY POSSESSION LIMIT FOR BLUE CATFISH TAKEN FROM LAKE MARION, LAKE MOULTRIE, AND THE UPPER REACH OF THE SANTEE RIVER, AND TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO MAKE A STUDY OF THE BLUE CATFISH FISHERY ON THE SANTEE AND COOPER RIVER SYSTEMS, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON ANY NEEDED MODIFICATIONS OF THIS SECTION; TO AMEND SECTION 50-9-1120, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE POINT SYSTEM FOR VIOLATING CERTAIN PROVISIONS THAT REGULATE FISHING AND HUNTING, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT TAKING OR POSSESSING MORE THAN THE LEGAL CREEL OR SIZE LIMIT OF BLUE CATFISH IS A FOURTEEN POINT VIOLATION; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES MUST CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE STATUS OF THE BLUE CATFISH POPULATION AND PRESENT THE STUDY TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Blue catfish
SECTION 1. Section 50-13-640 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 114 of 2012, is amended to read:
"Section 50-13-640. (A) It is unlawful to possess more than two blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) greater than thirty-two inches in length in any one day in Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie, or the upper reach of the Santee River, and the Congaree and Wateree Rivers.
(B) The daily possession limit for blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) is not more than twenty-five in Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie, and the upper reach of the Santee River.
(C) The department shall make a study of the blue catfish fishery on the Santee and Cooper River systems and make recommendations on any needed modifications of this section on or before January 2020.
(D) A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than three hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both."
Fishing violations
SECTION 2. Section 50-9-1120(3) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 237 of 2008, is further amended to read:
"(3) Fishing violations:
(a) trapping, netting, or seining game fish illegally: 10;
(b) taking or possessing more than the legal limit of striped bass: 14;
(c) taking or possessing an undersized striped bass: 14 ;
(d) taking or possessing more than the legal creel or size limit of blue catfish: 14."
Savings clause
SECTION 3. The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.
Blue catfish population study
SECTION 4. The Department of Natural Resources must conduct a study on the status of the blue catfish population. The study must be presented to the General Assembly before January 1, 2018.
Time effective
SECTION 5. This act takes effect April 1, 2015, and shall be automatically repealed on June 30, 2018, unless reauthorized by a joint resolution for that specific purpose.
Ratified the 5th day of June, 2014.
Approved the 6th day of June, 2014.
This web page was last updated on July 24, 2014 at 3:58 PM