I emailed WDFW to ask about this bill. Here is my question and their answer.
"Ms. Yeager,
If the WDFW is suspended from functioning then it would be safe to assume that hunting regulations will not be available and therefore no hunting or fishing until 7/1/2011, is that correct?
Thank you,"
Dear Mr. Lunatic,
You bring up a good point; however, this legislation has quite a ways to go before it would be considered for a final vote, let alone becoming effective.
The hunting seasons will be set by the Commission in April, and if passed, SB 5588 would probably not take effect until after that. Most bills take effect 90 days after passage, and this bill is still in early stages of development.
You may want to contact the committee where this bill is currently being debated. Call Aaron Gutierrez, Sen. Committee staff, for more information on the bill’s effect.
Aaron Gutierrez (360) 786-7448
Again, I hope this information is useful.
It really sounds that if this bill passes we are screwed.