CHEYENNE – A bill which would allow residents to collect road kill with the proper permits has passed the house and will hit the Senate floor.

The “road kill” bill would allow people to collect road-killed animals. The billed passed the house by a vote of 39-21. All local representatives, Mark Baker, Fred Baldwin, Stan Blake JoAnn Dayton, John Freeman and Jerry Paxton voted in favor of the bill. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Bernadine Craft.

The bill would allow a person to collect animals hit by vehicles if they have a one of three approvals from the Game and Fish Department. The first is a  letter of prior authorization from the Game and Fish Department. The letter may be available through the director to any person or entity which commits to putting road killed wildlife carcasses to a beneficial use.

The second way is if a person has a valid scientific or educational collecting permit for the specific species. The third way is if a person has a donation certificate or tag issued by the department. A person desiring to possess a road killed animal shall contact the department before taking possession of an animal to obtain a donation certificate. The rules may provide that a person requesting the donation certificate may have to present the animal for inspection to verify its possession meets the criteria of the regulation. The rules may also provide for obtaining a donation certificate after the person takes possession of the animal.

The bill excludes certain animals which include bighorn sheep, gray wolves, grizzly bears, mountain goats, species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act  or federal threatened or endangered species.

If approved, it would become valid on July 1, 2015.