hb107.html
05 LC 25 3821
House Bill 107
By: Representative Barnard of the 166th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Code Section 27-5-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to wild animals for which licenses or permits are required, so as to change the list of animals for which licenses or permits are or may be required; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.
Code Section 27-5-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to wild animals for which licenses or permits are required, is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
"(b) Except as provided in this Code section, a license or permit is required for the following wild animals and any others specified by regulation of the board:
(1) Class Mammalia:
(A) Order Marsupialia (opossum, wallabies, etc.) — All species;
(B) Order Insectivora (shrews, moles, etc.) — All species;
(C) Order Dermoptera (flying lemurs) — All species;
(D) Order Chiroptera (bats) — All species;
(E) Order Primates (monkeys, apes, etc.) — All species except Family Hominidae;
(F) Order Edentata (sloths, armadillos, etc.) — All species;
(G) Order Pholidota (pangolins or scaly anteaters) — All species;
(H) Order Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, etc.) — All species except Genus Oryctolagus; or any other normally domesticated species;
(I) Order Rodentia (rats, mice, etc.) — All species except Genus Cavia; Genus Gerbillus; Genus Mesocricetus; Mus musculous; Rattus rattus; Rattus norvegicus; or any other normally domesticated species;
(J) Order Cetacea (whales, dolphins, etc.) — All species;
(K) Order Carnivora (weasels, ferrets, cats, bears, wolves, etc.) — All species, except that a European ferret (Mustela putorius furo) may be sold, purchased, exhibited, or held as a pet without a license or permit; provided, however, that the ferret owner can provide valid documentation that the ferret was sexually neutered prior to seven months of age and is vaccinated against rabies with a properly administered vaccine approved for use on ferrets by the United States Department of Agriculture;
(L) Order Tubulidentata (aardvark) — All species;
(M) Order Proboscidea (elephants) — All species;
(N) Order Hyracoidea (conies) — All species;
(O) Order Sirenia (manatees, dugong) — All species;
(P) Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) — All species;
(Q) Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) — All species except Bison bison (buffalo) and Llama guanicoe, L. glama, and L. pacos (llamas);
(2) Class Aves:
(A) Order Falconiformes (hawks, eagles, vultures, etc.) — All species except that persons possessing a federal falconry license shall be allowed to possess birds in the Order Falconiformes without obtaining a wild animal license;
(B) Order Galliformes: Family Meleagrididae (turkeys) — All species not normally domesticated;
(C) Order Psittaciformes: Myiopsitta monachus (monk parakeet) Reserved;
(D) Order Cuculiformes: Family Cuculidae (cuckoos) — All species;
(E) Order Strigiformes (owls) — All species;
(F) Order Passeriformes:
(i) Family Alaudidae (larks): Alauda arvensis (sky larks);
(ii) Family Pycnonotidae (bulbuls) — All species;
(iii) Family Muscicapidae (thrushes, blackbirds, fieldfare, etc.): Genus Turdus — All species;
(iv) Family Zosteropidae (white eyes): Genus Zosterops — All species;
(v) Family Emberizidae (buntings, etc.): Emberiza citrinella (yellow hammer);
(vi) Family Ploceidae (sparrows, weavers, queleas, weaver finches, etc.):
(I) Genus Passer — All species except Passer domesticus (English house sparrow);
(II) Ploceus capensis (cape weaver);
(III) Ploceus philippinus (Baya weaver);
(IV) Genus Quelea — All species;
(vii) Family Icteridae (blackbirds, grackles, orioles, etc.): Genera Molothrus, Quiscalus, and Agelaius — All species;
(viii) Family Estrildidae (waxbills, ricebirds, munias, weaver finches, etc): Padda oryzivora (Java sparrow) Reserved;
(ix) Family Sturnidae (starlings, mynas, etc.) — All species except Sturnus vulgaris (starling) and Gracula religiosa (Hill mynas);
(x) Family Corvidae (crows, ravens, etc.) — All species;
(3) Class Amphibia (Order Anura):
(A) Family Bufonidae (toads): Bufo marinus, Bufo paracnemis, Bufo horribilis (giant or marine toad group);
(4) Class Osteichthyes (bony fish):
(A) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Characoidei): Family Characidae (tetra, piranha):
(i) Astyanax faciatus (banded tetra);
(ii) Genera Serrasalmus, Serrasalmo, Pygocentrus, Taddyella, Rooseveltiella, Pygopristis (piranhas) — All species;
(B) Order Cypriniformes (Suborder Cyprinoidei): Family Cyprinidae (carp, grass carp, orfe, etc.):
(i) Ctenopharyngodon idella (grass carp);
(ii) Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp);
(iii) Aristichthys nobilis (bighead carp);
(C) Order Siluriformes:
(i) Family Clariidae (air-breathing catfishes) — All species;
(ii) Family Trichomycteridae (parasitic catfishes): Genera Vandellia (candiru) and Urinophilus — All species;
(iii) Family Heteropneustidae (giant walking catfishes): Genus Heteropneustes — All species;
(D) Order Perciformes (Suborder Channoidei) Family Channidae (snakeheads): Genera Ophicephalus and Channa — All species;
(5) Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish): Order Rajiformes: Family Potamotrygonidae (fresh-water stingray) — All species; and
(6) All exotic fish which are not held in aquaria or tanks, provided that, as used in this Code section, 'aquaria or tanks' means containers for holding fish from which no water is discharged, except during periodic cleaning, and which discharged water is passed through a filtering system capable of removing all fish and fish eggs and is disposed of only in a septic tank permitted by the county or in a waste-water treatment system permitted by the Environmental Protection Division of the department. For purposes of this paragraph, exotic fish are all fish species not native to Georgia. This paragraph shall not apply to any species of fish regulated by any other chapter of this title.
(b.1) The board shall not by rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to this Code section require a license or permit for:
(1) Order Psittaciformes: Myiopsitta monachus (monk parakeet); or
(2) Family Estrildidae (waxbills, ricebirds, munias, weaver finches, etc): Padda oryzivora (Java sparrow)."

SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.