District of Columbia Code
Subchapter II - Game and Fish
§ 8–2221.28. Council’s authority with respect to wild animals, fishing licenses, and migratory birds; exception; “wild animals” defined

The Council of the District of Columbia is authorized to restrict, prohibit, regulate, and control hunting and fishing and the taking, possession, and sale of wild animals in the District; provided, that the District assents to the provisions of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, approved August 9, 1950 (64 Stat. 430; 16 U.S.C. §§ 777 -777n ), the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, approved September 2, 1937 (50 Stat. 917; 16 U.S.C. §§ 669 -669k ), and 18 U.S.C. § 701 , including a prohibition against the diversion of fishing license fees paid by sport fishermen for any purpose other than the administration of the District’s fish and wildlife agency; provided further, that nothing herein contained shall authorize the Council to prohibit, restrict, regulate, or control the killing, capture, purchase, sale, or possession of migratory birds as defined in regulations issued pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of July 3, 1918, as amended (16 U.S.C. §§ 703 -712 ) and taken for scientific, propagating, or other purposes under permits issued by the Secretary of the Interior; and provided further, that nothing herein contained shall authorize the Council to prohibit, restrict, regulate, or control the sale or possession of wild animals taken legally in any state, territory or possession of the United States or in any foreign country, or produced on a game farm, except as may be necessary to protect the public health or safety. As used in this section the term "wild animals" includes not-ordinarily-domesticated mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles.
(Aug. 23, 1958, 72 Stat. 814, Pub. L. 85-730, § 1; Sept. 24, 2010, D.C. Law 18-223, § 6082, 57 DCR 6242; May 19, 2017, D.C. Law 21-282, § 411, 64 DCR 2055.)
1973 Ed., § 22-1628.
1981 Ed., § 22-1628.
2001 Ed., § 22-4328.
D.C. Law 18-223 substituted “provided, that the District assents to the provisions of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, approved August 9, 1950 (64 Stat. 430; 16 U.S.C. §§ 777- 777n), the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, approved September 2, 1937 (50 Stat. 917; 16 U.S.C. §§ 669- 669k), and 18 U.S.C. § 701, including a prohibition against the diversion of fishing license fees paid by sport fishermen for any purpose other than the administration of the District’s fish and wildlife agency” for “provided, that nothing herein contained shall authorize the Council to impose any requirement for a fishing license or fee of any nature whatsoever”.
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 6082 of Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-463, July 2, 2010, 57 DCR 6542).
Short title: Section 6081 of D.C. Law 18-223 provided that subtitle I of title VI of the act may be cited as the “Assent to the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act Amendment Act of 2010”.
This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 402(204) of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to the District of Columbia Council, subject to the right of the Commissioner as provided in § 406 of the Plan. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.

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