Louisiana § RS 56:69.21 - Wildlife Violator Compact

§ RS 56:69.21. Wildlife Violator Compact

A.  This Subpart shall be known and may be cited as the "Wildlife Violator Compact".  Louisiana, a participating state, finds that:

(1)  Wildlife resources are managed in trust by the respective states for the benefit of all of their residents and visitors.

(2)  The protection of the wildlife resources of a state is materially affected by the degree of compliance with its statutes, laws, ordinances, and administrative rules relating to the management of those resources.

(3)  The preservation, protection, management, and restoration of wildlife contribute immeasurably to the aesthetic, recreational, and economic aspects of the natural resources of a state.

(4)  Wildlife resources are valuable without regard to political boundaries; therefore, a person should be required to comply with wildlife preservation, protection, management, and restoration laws, ordinances, and administrative rules of a participating state as a condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of a 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 violators necessitates the maintenance of channels of communication among the various states.

(7)  Usually, one of the following enforcement practices is used on a person who is cited for a wildlife violation in a state other than his home state:

(a)  Is required to post collateral or bond to secure appearance for a trial at a later date.

(b)  Is taken directly into custody until collateral or bond is posted.

(c)  Is taken directly to court for an immediate appearance.

(8)  The purpose of the enforcement practices set forth in Paragraph (7) of this Subsection is to ensure compliance with the terms of a wildlife citation by the cited person who, if permitted to continue on his way after receiving the citation, could return to his home state and disregard his duty under the terms of the citation.

(9)  In most instances, a person receiving a wildlife citation in his home state is permitted to accept the citation from the wildlife officer at the scene of the violation and immediately continue on his way after agreeing or being instructed to comply with the terms of the citation.

(10)  The enforcement practices described in Paragraph (7) of this Subsection cause unnecessary inconvenience and, at times, hardship for a person who is unable to post collateral, furnish a bond, stand trial, or pay a fine at that time and is therefore compelled to remain in custody until some alternative arrangement is made.

(11)  The enforcement practices described in Paragraph (7) of this Subsection consume an undue amount of enforcement time.

B.  It is the policy of the participating states to:

(1)  Promote compliance with the statutes, laws, ordinances, and administrative rules relating to the management of wildlife resources in the respective states.

(2)  Recognize the suspension of wildlife license privileges of a person whose license privileges have been suspended by another participating state and treat the suspension as if it had occurred in the home state.

(3)  Allow a person, except as provided in R.S. 56:69.23, to accept a citation and, without delay, proceed on his way, whether or not the person is a resident of the state in which the citation was issued, provided that the person's home state is a participating state in the Wildlife Violator Compact.

(4)  Report to the appropriate participating state, as provided in the compact manual, a conviction recorded against a person whose home state was not the issuing state.

(5)  Allow a home state to recognize and treat convictions recorded against its residents, which convictions occurred in another participating state, as though they had occurred in the home state.

(6)  Cooperate to the fullest extent with other participating states in enforcing compliance with the terms of citations issued by one participating state to residents 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.

Acts 2008, No. 363, §1.