§ 14-22-41-3 — Findings, policy, and purpose

ARTICLE I
(a) The participating states find the following:
(1) Wildlife resources are managed in trust by the respective
states for the benefit of all residents and visitors.
(2) The protection of the wildlife resources of a state is materially
affected by the degree of compliance with state statutes, laws,
regulations, ordinances, and administrative rules relating to the
management of wildlife resources.
(3) The preservation, protection, management, and restoration of
wildlife contributes immeasurably to the aesthetic, recreational,
and economic aspects of wildlife natural resources.
(4) Wildlife resources are valuable without regard to political
boundaries; therefore, every person should be required to comply
with wildlife preservation, protection, management, and
restoration laws, ordinances, and administrative rules and
regulations of the participating states as a condition precedent to
the continuance or issuance of any license to hunt, fish, trap, or
possess wildlife.
(5) Violation of wildlife laws interferes with the management of
wildlife resources and may endanger the safety of persons and
property.
(6) The mobility of many wildlife law violators necessitates the
maintenance of channels of communication among the various
states.
(7) In some states, a person who is cited for a wildlife violation in
a state other than the person's home state:
(A) is required to post collateral or a bond to secure appearance
for a trial at a later date;
(B) is taken into custody until the collateral or bond is posted;
or
(C) is taken directly to court for an immediate appearance.
(8) The purpose of the enforcement practices set forth in
subdivision (7) is to ensure compliance with the terms of a
wildlife citation by the cited person who, if permitted to continue
on the person's way after receiving the citation, could return to the
person's home state and disregard the person's duty under the
terms of the citation.
(9) In most instances, a person receiving a wildlife citation in the
person's home state is permitted to accept the citation from the
officer at the scene of the violation and immediately continue on
the person's way after agreeing or being instructed to comply with
the terms of the citation.
(10) The practices described in subdivision (7) cause unnecessary
inconvenience and, at times, a hardship for the person who is
unable at the time to post collateral, furnish a bond, stand trial, or
pay a fine, and thus is compelled to remain in custody until some
alternative arrangement is made.
(11) The enforcement practices described in subdivision (7)
consume an undue amount of law enforcement time.
(b) It is the policy of the participating states to do the following:
(1) Promote compliance with the statutes, laws, ordinances,
regulations, and administrative rules relating to management of
wildlife resources in their respective states.
(2) Recognize the suspension of wildlife license privileges of any
person whose license privileges have been suspended by a
participating state and treat the suspension as if it had occurred in
their state provided the violation that resulted in the suspension
could have been the basis for suspension in their state.
(3) Allow a violator, except as provided in section 5(b) of this
chapter, to accept a wildlife citation and, without delay, proceed
on the person's way, whether or not a resident of the state in
which the citation was issued, provided that the violator's home
state is party to this compact.
(4) Report to the appropriate participating state, as provided in the
compact manual, any conviction recorded against any person
whose home state was not the issuing state.
(5) Allow the home state to recognize and treat convictions
recorded against the home state's residents that occurred in a
participating state as though the convictions had occurred in the
home state.
(6) Extend cooperation to its fullest extent among the
participating states for enforcing compliance with the terms of a
wildlife citation issued in a participating state to a resident of
another participating state.
(7) Maximize effective use of law enforcement personnel and
information.
(8) Assist court systems in the efficient disposition of wildlife
violations.
(c) The purpose of this compact is to do the following:
(1) Provide a means through which a participating state may join
in a reciprocal program to effectuate the policies enumerated in
subsection (b) in a uniform and orderly manner.
(2) Provide for the fair and impartial treatment of wildlife
violators operating within participating states in recognition of the
violator's right to due process and the sovereign status of a
participating state.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.23-1999, SEC.2.