SB 25-053

Senate Bill 25-053, also known as the "Protect Wild Bison" bill, classifies bison in Colorado as wildlife rather than livestock, making it illegal for people to hunt or capture wild bison without a special permit from the state. The law sets specific fines and penalties for those who break these rules, including hefty fines of up to $100,000 and possible jail time. This bill affects anyone who might interact with bison in Colorado, especially hunters and ranchers. Since it has been signed into law, the new regulations are now enforceable statewide.

Official Summary

The act classifies bison as big game unless the bison are livestock. Classifying bison as wildlife means that hunting or taking one is illegal unless authorized by rule of the parks and wildlife commission. The act also clarifies that "wildlife" does not include privately owned cattle, including bison legally reduced to captivity or bison that have escaped lawful captivity, or bison owned by or lawfully reduced to captivity by an Indian tribe. The fee for issuing a bison hunting license is set at $374.22 for a resident and $2,756.74 for a nonresident. The penalty for illegal possession of wild bison is a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $100,000, or imprisonment for not more than one year in the county jail, and an assessment of 20 license suspension points. The penalty for illegally killing or capturing a bison is a fine of $10,000. The value of a bison is set at $1,000 for the purposes of recovering the value of a bison that is illegally killed or captured. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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