15-43-238. Hunter training and safety program.

15-43-238. Hunter training and safety program. (a) The General Assembly finds and determines that: (1) The management of the state's wildlife and the regulation of hunting and hunters in the state are the primary responsibilities of the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission under Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 35; (2) Properly regulated and controlled hunting is one of the most important single game management tools available in the propagation and management of wildlife; (3) Untrained and improperly trained hunters account for a great percentage of the loss of game in this state as a result of the crippling of wildlife; (4) The number of hunting accidents in the state is increasing annually and that this increase in hunter accidents is due primarily to the lack of training or the improper training of hunters; (5) The establishment of a hunter training and safety program in this state would greatly improve and facilitate not only hunter safety but game management programs designed to improve the highly popular sport in this state; and (6) It is the purpose and intent of this section to authorize the commission to establish and operate a hunter safety and training program in this state and to designate the commission as the appropriate agency to receive federal funds that may be or become available to the State of Arkansas for the establishment and operation of such program under Pub. L. 91-503 or other congressional acts presently in effect or hereafter enacted. (b) The commission is authorized and encouraged to establish, maintain, and operate a program of hunter training and hunter safety in this state. The program shall include, but not be limited to, a course of instruction designed to teach the safe and proper handling of firearms, the suitability and effectiveness of various types of firearms for hunting the various types of game, the effective range and relative killing power of various firearms, the best placement of shots on large game to assure clean kills and fewer wounded game animals resulting from hunting in this state, and any other related matters deemed appropriate by the commission. (c) The commission is designated as the appropriate state agency to receive, distribute, and disburse all federal funds available to the state under the provisions of Pub. L. 91-503 and similar or related congressional acts now in existence or hereafter enacted. The commission is authorized to use funds in the Game Protection Fund to match federal funds to carry out the provisions of this section. (d) The commission is authorized to adopt and enforce rules and regulations it shall deem appropriate and necessary to properly carry out the purposes and intent of this section.