SESSION WATCH
Died HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. HB 1249

Police Powers of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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SPONSOR
Shoaf
FILED BY
Jason Shoaf — District 7, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Criminal Justice Subcommittee

Filed under Environment & Water.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Police Powers of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Specifies conditions under which commission officers & other commission personnel may enter private property.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Ties wildlife officers' property entry to standard police rules.

Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers may still enter land, water, and premises to do their jobs, but must now do so in the same manner and under the same requirements as a regular law enforcement officer.

The law no longer says officers can go onto any posted or unposted property regardless of No Trespassing signs; that specific override is deleted and replaced with the same law-enforcement-officer standard.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Officer entry now bound to standard law enforcement rules majors. 379.3311

AICommission officers' authority to enter land or waters of the state for their lawful duties is now expressly conditioned on acting in the same manner and under the same requirements as a regular law enforcement officer, rather than standing as a separate, unconditioned grant. The entry still does not count as a trespass.

“in the same manner and subject to the same requirements as a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1)” bill text, line 26 →
§ 2 Blanket authority to enter posted premises is repealed majors. 379.3311

AIPrior law let officers go upon all premises whether posted with No Trespassing signage or not, with no reference to general law enforcement standards. That specific blanket-authority clause is deleted and replaced with the same law-enforcement-officer standard used elsewhere in the section.

“Go upon all premises posted or otherwise”
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2/4/2026
Now in Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2/4/2026
Reported out of Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
2/4/2026
Favorable by Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
2/2/2026
Added to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee agenda
1/15/2026
Now in Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
1/15/2026
Referred to State Affairs Committee
1/15/2026
Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee
1/15/2026
Referred to Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/8/2026
Filed
5 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 379.3311
+40 / −3
STAFF ANALYSES