§ 23-25-2. Adoption and text of compact.

(1) The participating states find that:

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

(b) 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 the resources.

(c) The preservation, protection, management, and restoration of wildlife contributes immeasurably to the aesthetic, recreational, and economic aspects of the natural resources.

(d) 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.

(e) Violation of wildlife laws interferes with the management of wildlife resources and may endanger the safety of persons and property.

(f) The mobility of many wildlife law violators necessitates the maintenance of channels of communication among the various states.

(g) Usually, a person who is cited for a wildlife violation in a state other than his home state:

(i) is required to post collateral or bond to secure appearance for a trial at a later date; or

(ii) is taken directly into custody until collateral or bond is posted; or

(iii) is taken directly to court for an immediate appearance.

(h) The purpose of the enforcement practices set forth in Subsection (1)(g) of this article 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.

(i) In most instances, a person receiving a wildlife citation in his home state is permitted to accept the citation from the 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.

(j) The practices described in Subsection (1)(g) 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 is compelled to remain in custody until some alternative arrangement is made.

(k) The enforcement practices described in Subsection (1)(g) of this article consume an undue amount of enforcement time.

(2) It is the policy of the participating states to:

(a) promote compliance with the statutes, laws, ordinances, regulations, and administrative rules relating to the management of wildlife resources in their respective states;

(b) recognize the suspension of wildlife license privileges of a person whose license privileges have been suspended by a participating state and treat the suspension as if it had occurred in their state;

(c) allow a violator, except as provided in Subsection 23-25-4(2), to accept a wildlife citation and, without delay, proceed on his way, whether or not the violator is a resident of the state in which the citation was issued, provided that the violator's home state is a party to this compact;

(d) 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;

(e) 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;

(f) extend cooperation to its fullest extent among the participating states for enforcing compliance with the terms of a wildlife citation issued in one participating state to a resident of another state;

(g) maximize effective use of law enforcement personnel and information; and

(h) assist court systems in the efficient disposition of wildlife violations.

Enacted by Chapter 260, 1992 General Session