2023 Indiana Code › Title 14. Natural and Cultural Resources › Article 22. Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 41. Wildlife Violator Compact › 14-22-41-3. Findings, Policy, and Purpose

Sec. 3. 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.
As added by P.L.23-1999, SEC.2.