New Jersey § 23:13-1

§ 23:13-1.

The State of New Jersey enacts and enters into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact

with all other jurisdictions that legally join in the compact in the form substantially

as follows: Article I. Findings and Statement of Purpose. 1. a. The participating states to this compact find that: (1) Wildlife resources are managed in trust by the respective states for the benefit

of all residents and visitors; (2) The protection of wildlife resources is materially affected by the degree of compliance

with the laws, rules, and regulations relating to the protection and management of

such resources; (3) The preservation, protection, management, and restoration of wildlife contribute

immeasurably to the aesthetic, recreational, and economic aspects of those natural

resources; (4) Wildlife resources are valuable without regard to political boundaries, and therefore,

every person should be required to comply with the wildlife laws of the participating

states as a condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of any license to hunt,

fish, trap, or possess wildlife; (5) The violation of wildlife laws interferes with the management of wildlife resources

and may endanger the safety of persons and property; (6) The mobility of people who violate wildlife laws necessitates the maintenance

of channels of communication among the various states; (7) In most instances, a person who is cited for a wildlife violation in a state other

than the person's home state is: (a) required to post collateral or a bond to secure appearance for a trial at a later

date; (b) taken into custody until the collateral or bond is posted; or (c) taken directly to court for an immediate appearance. (8) The purpose of the enforcement practices described in paragraph (7) of this subsection

of this article is to ensure compliance with the terms of a wildlife citation by the

cited person who, if permitted to continue on their way after receiving the citation,

could return to their home state and disregard their 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 their way after agreeing or being instructed to comply

with the terms of the citation; (10) The practices described in paragraph (7) of this subsection of this article 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 an alternative arrangement is made; and (11) The enforcement practices described in paragraph (7) of this subsection of this

article consume an undue amount of time of law enforcement agencies. b. It is the policy of the participating states to: (1) Promote compliance with wildlife laws 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 that suspension

as if it had occurred in their state; (3) Allow a violator, except as provided in subsection b. of Article III of the compact,

to accept a wildlife citation and, without delay, proceed on their way, whether or

not the violator is a resident of the state in which the citation was issued, if 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 its residents,

which convictions occurred in a participating state, as though they had occurred in

the home state; (6) Extend cooperation to its fullest extent among the participating states for obtaining

compliance with the terms of a wildlife citation issued in one participating state

to a resident of another participating state; (7) Maximize the effective use of law enforcement personnel and information; and (8) Assist court systems in the efficient disposition of wildlife violations. c. The purpose of this compact is to provide: (1) a means by which participating states may join in a reciprocal program to effectuate

the policies enumerated in subsection b. of this article in a uniform and orderly

manner; and (2) 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. Article II. Definitions. 2. As used in this compact and sections 2 through 6 of this act: “ Citation ” means any summons, complaint, summons and complaint, ticket, penalty assessment,

or other official document issued to a person by a wildlife officer or other peace

officer for a wildlife violation which contains an order requiring the person to respond. “ Collateral ” means, except as used in section 3 of this act, any cash or other security deposited

to secure an appearance for trial in connection with the issuance by a wildlife officer

or other peace officer of a citation for a wildlife violation. “ Compact ” means the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. “ Compliance ” means, except as used in section 3 of this act, the act of answering a citation

through an appearance in a court or tribunal, or through the payment of fines, costs,

and surcharges, if any. “ Conviction ” means an admission of guilt of a violation of law by an accused defendant and the

subsequent finding of guilt by a competent court of appropriate jurisdiction by way

of trial, hearing, summary civil proceeding, or the payment of a fine or penalty to

a court in lieu of a court appearance through a court's violations bureau, and includes

any court conviction for any offense related to the preservation, protection, management,

or restoration of wildlife which is prohibited by wildlife law including any court

conviction that results in suspension or revocation of a license, and the term also

includes the forfeiture of any bail, bond, or other security deposited to secure appearance

by a person charged with having committed any such offense, the payment of a penalty

assessment, a plea of nolo contendere, or the imposition of a deferred or suspended

sentence by the court. “ Court ” means a court of law, including but not limited to magistrate's court, justice of

the peace court, municipal court, and the State Superior Court. “ Division ” or “ Division of Fish and Wildlife ” means the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection. “ Home state ” means the state of primary residence of a person. “ Issuing state ” means the participating state that issues a wildlife citation to a violator. “ License ” means any license, permit, or other public document that conveys to the person to

whom it was issued the privilege of pursuing, possessing, or taking any wildlife regulated

by law, rule, or regulation; including any privilege to obtain such license, permit,

or other public document, or any statutory exemption from the requirement to obtain

such license, permit, or other public document. “ Licensing authority ” means the department or division within each participating state which is authorized

by law to issue or approve licenses or permits to hunt, fish, trap, or possess wildlife. “ Participating state ” means any state that enacts legislation to become a member of the Interstate Wildlife

Violator Compact. “ Personal recognizance ” means an agreement by a person made at the time of issuance of the wildlife citation

that the person will comply with the terms of the citation. “ State ” means any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Provinces of Canada, or other countries. “ Suspension ” means any suspension, revocation, denial, or withdrawal of any or all license privileges,

including the privilege to apply for, purchase, or exercise the benefits conferred

by any license. “ Terms of a citation ” or “ terms of the citation ” means the conditions and options expressly stated in the citation. “ Wildlife ” means all species of wild, non-domesticated animals, including, but not limited

to, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, and crustaceans, which are

defined as wildlife and are protected or otherwise regulated by wildlife law in a

participating state. Species included in the definition of “wildlife” may vary among the states and the

determination of whether a species is “wildlife” for the purposes of this compact

shall be based on the laws, rules, and regulations of the issuing state. “ Wildlife law ” means any law, rule, or regulation enacted for the management of wildlife resources

and the uses thereof. “ Wildlife officer ” means any person authorized by a participating state to issue a citation for a wildlife

violation. “ Wildlife violation ” means any cited violation of a wildlife law. Article III. Procedures for Issuing State. 3. a. When issuing a citation for a wildlife violation, a wildlife officer shall issue

a citation to any person whose primary residence is in a participating state in the

same manner as though the person were a resident of the issuing state. The wildlife officer shall not require the person to post collateral to secure the

person's appearance, subject to the exceptions set forth in subsection b. of this

article, if the wildlife officer receives the person's personal recognizance that

the person will comply with the terms of the citation. b. Personal recognizance is acceptable if not prohibited by local law, by policy,

procedure, rule, or regulation of the issuing agency, or by the compact manual, and

if the person provides adequate proof of identification to the wildlife officer. c. Upon conviction or failure of a person to comply with the terms of a wildlife citation,

the appropriate official shall report the conviction or failure to comply to the licensing

authority of the participating state in which the wildlife citation was issued. The report shall be made in accordance with the procedures specified by the issuing

state and shall contain information as specified in the compact manual as minimum

requirements for effective processing by the home state. d. Upon receipt of the report of conviction or noncompliance pursuant to subsection

c. of this article, the licensing authority of the issuing state shall transmit to

the licensing authority of the home state of the violator the information in the form

and content prescribed in the compact manual. Article IV. Procedures for Home State. 4. a. Upon receipt of a report from the licensing authority of the issuing state reporting

the failure of a violator to comply with the terms of a citation, the licensing authority

of the home state shall notify the violator and may initiate a suspension action in

accordance with the applicable suspension procedure of the home state. The licensing authority of the home state shall suspend the licensing privileges

of the violator until satisfactory evidence of compliance with the terms of the wildlife

citation has been furnished by the issuing state to the licensing authority of the

home state. Due process safeguards shall be accorded to the violator. b. Upon receipt of a report of conviction from the licensing authority of the issuing

state, the licensing authority of the home state shall enter the conviction in its

records and shall treat the conviction as though it occurred in the home state for

purposes of the possible suspension of license privileges. c. The licensing authority of the home state shall maintain a record of actions taken

and make reports to issuing states as provided in the compact manual. Article V. Reciprocal Recognition of Suspension. 5. a. Each participating state may recognize the suspension of license privileges

of any person by any other participating state as though the violation on which the

suspension is based had occurred in that state and would have been the basis for suspension

of license privileges in that state. b. Each participating state shall communicate information concerning the suspension

of license privileges to other participating states in the form and content prescribed

in the compact manual. Article VI. Applicability of Other Laws. 6. Except as expressly required by provisions of this compact, this compact shall

not affect the right of any participating state to apply any of its laws relating

to license privileges to any person or circumstance or to invalidate or prevent any

agreement or other cooperative arrangement between a participating state and a nonparticipating

state concerning the enforcement of wildlife laws. Article VII. Compact Administrator Procedures. 7. a. For the purpose of administering the provisions of this compact and to serve

as a governing body for the resolution of all matters relating to the operation of

this compact, a board of compact administrators is established. The board shall be composed of one representative from each of the participating

states to be known as the compact administrator. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Director

of the Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Chief of the Bureau of Law Enforcement

within the division, shall recommend to the Governor a nominee to serve as compact

administrator for the State of New Jersey. No later than 90 days after receipt of the recommendation from the Commissioner

of Environmental Protection, the Governor shall appoint the recommended nominee as

the compact administrator for the State of New Jersey. The compact administrator shall serve and be subject to removal in accordance with

the laws of the State of New Jersey. The compact administrator may provide for the discharge of duties and the performance

of functions as a board member by an alternate. An alternate shall not serve unless written notification of the identity of the

alternate has been given to the board. b. Each member of the board of compact administrators shall be entitled to one vote. No action of the board shall be binding unless taken at a meeting at which a majority

of the total number of the votes of the board is cast in favor thereof. Action by the board shall be only at a meeting at which a majority of the participating

states are represented. c. The board shall elect annually from its membership a chairperson and vice chairperson. d. The board shall adopt bylaws not inconsistent with the provisions of this compact

or the laws of a participating state for the conduct of its business and may amend

and rescind its bylaws. e. The board may accept for any of its purposes and functions under this compact any

and all donations and grants of moneys, equipment, supplies, materials, and services,

conditional or otherwise, from any state, the federal government, or any governmental

agency, and may receive, use, and dispose of the same. f. The board may contract with, or accept services or personnel from, any governmental

or intergovernmental agency, person, firm, corporation, or private nonprofit organization

or institution. g. The board shall formulate all necessary procedures and develop uniform forms and

documents for administering the provisions of this compact. All procedures and forms adopted pursuant to board action shall be contained in

the compact manual. Article VIII. Entry into and Withdrawal from Compact. 8. a. This compact shall become effective upon adoption in substantially similar form

by two or more states. b. (1) Entry into the compact shall be made by resolution of ratification executed

by the authorized officials of the applying state and submitted to the chairperson

of the board. (2) The resolution shall substantially be in the form and content as provided in the

compact manual and include the following: (a) A citation of the authority by which the state is authorized to become a party

to this compact; (b) An agreement of compliance with the terms and provisions of the compact; and (c) An agreement that entry into the compact is with all states participating in the

compact and with any additional states that legally become party to the compact. (3) The effective date of entry shall be specified by the applying state, but shall

not be less than 60 days after notice has been given by the chairperson of the board

of the compact administrators or by the secretary of the board to each participating

state that the resolution from the applying state has been received. c. A participating state may withdraw from the compact by official written notice

to each participating state, but withdrawal shall not become effective until 90 days

after the notice of withdrawal is given. The notice shall be directed to the compact administrator of each participating

state. The withdrawal of any state does not affect the validity of this compact as to the

remaining participating states. Article IX. Amendments to the Compact. 9. a. This compact may be amended from time to time. Amendments shall be presented in resolution form to the chairperson of the board

of compact administrators and may be initiated by one or more participating states. b. Adoption of an amendment shall require endorsement by all participating states

and shall become effective 30 days after the date of the last endorsement. Article X. Construction and Severability. 10. This compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes stated

herein. The provisions of the compact are severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence,

or provision of the compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any

participating state or of the federal government, or if the applicability thereof

to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of

the remainder of the compact shall not be affected thereby. If the compact is held contrary to the constitution of any participating state,

the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining states and in

full force and effect as to the participating state affected as to all severable matters.