Bill
HB 1094
HB 1094 allows the Game and Fish director to issue limited special-allocation hunting licenses to qualified nonprofits, with fundraising rules and a 20% conservation contribution.
Title: An Act to amend and reenact section 20.1‑05.1‑02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to discretionary special allocation hunting licenses.
Status & Timeline
- Introduced: November 12, 2024 (House)
- Committee action: Energy & Natural Resources Committee (amendments adopted Feb 7, 2025)
- Enacted: Passed both chambers; signed by the Governor (June 20, 2025)
- Effective date: September 1, 2025
Purpose
- To revise the law authorizing the director of the Game and Fish Department to issue discretionary special‑allocation hunting licenses to eligible nonprofit organizations and to set eligibility, allocation limits, fundraising and reporting requirements associated with those licenses.
Key provisions and changes
- Types and limits of discretionary licenses the director may issue (subject to species sustainability and other restrictions):
- Elk: up to 2 licenses annually, and the total issued under this subsection may not exceed 2% of the season’s general lottery elk allocation.
- Moose: up to 2 licenses annually, total not to exceed 2% of the season’s general lottery moose allocation.
- Antelope: up to 2 licenses annually, total not to exceed 2% of the prior season’s general lottery antelope allocation.
- White‑tailed deer: up to 10 licenses annually.
- Application and award process:
- Eligible organizations may apply annually for up to two special allocation licenses.
- Applications must follow director’s rules (timing, form, information).
- If applications exceed available licenses for a species, recipients are chosen by lottery.
- Raffle/auction fundraising and reporting:
- Organizations that receive a license and then raffle or auction it must conduct the raffle/auction in compliance with director’s rules and submit reports as required.
- Organizations must agree (in their application) to contribute at least 20% of the net proceeds from any raffle of a license to a conservation‑related project in North Dakota, subject to director approval.
- Eligibility and exclusions:
- “Eligible organization” must:
- Be tax‑exempt under IRC section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) and provide the IRS determination letter;
- Be registered as a nonprofit corporation in good standing with the Secretary of State;
- Not be a recipient of a special allocation license under NDCC §20.1‑05.1‑01.
- Individuals who obtain an elk or moose license through an organization’s raffle/auction are ineligible for an elk or moose license through the department’s general lottery or under §20.1‑05.1‑01 in that same year — and vice versa.
- Any individual convicted of illegally taking a moose, elk, or bighorn sheep is barred from applying for or receiving a license under this section.
Who is affected
- Eligible nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19)) that might apply to receive and raffle/auction licenses for fundraising.
- Hunters who may obtain licenses either through the general department lottery or through organizational raffles/auctions (mutually exclusive for elk and moose in a given year).
- North Dakota Game and Fish Department — rulemaking, administration of applications/lotteries, oversight and reporting.
- Conservation projects in North Dakota (will receive a mandated percentage of raffle proceeds).
Procedural notes and implications
- The director retains discretion to issue licenses based on species sustainability; the statutory caps limit the number of licenses diverted from the general lottery (e.g., 2% caps for elk/moose/antelope).
- The law formalizes fundraising via raffles/auctions, requires a minimum contribution to conservation projects (20% of net proceeds), and strengthens nonprofit eligibility and reporting requirements.
- Administrative impacts: department rulemaking and oversight, lottery administration, and monitoring of raffles/auctions and conservation disbursements.
Overall effect
- HB 1094 authorizes limited, director‑approved issuance of special allocation hunting licenses to qualified nonprofits, tightens eligibility and fundraising requirements (raising the conservation contribution to 20%), and establishes procedural safeguards to balance nonprofit fundraising with species sustainability and the general lottery system.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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