[Effective 7/1/2024]

(a) An independent and separate administrative board of conservation for game, fish and wildlife of the state is created, to be known and referred to as the Tennessee fish and wildlife commission, hereinafter referred to as the “fish and wildlife commission” or the “commission,” to consist of thirteen (13) citizens of this state, which citizens shall be well informed on the conservation of game animals, birds, and fish in this state, and also boating operation, regulation, and safety. The appointees must also actively participate in the activities regulated by the commission, including hunting, angling, trapping, and boating. Nine (9) of these citizens shall be appointed by the governor, two (2) shall be appointed by the speaker of the senate, and two (2) shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, each to be appointed within the period provided in this section. In making appointments to the fish and wildlife commission, the governor and the speakers shall strive to ensure that at least one (1) person serving on the commission is sixty (60) years of age or older, at least one (1) person serving on the commission is a member of a racial minority, and at least two (2) persons serving on the commission are female.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 70-1-201 v2

  • Agriculture: means :
    (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Angling: means any effort made to take, kill, injure, capture, or catch any fish and every act of assistance in any effort. See Tennessee Code 70-1-101
  • Commission: means the Tennessee fish and wildlife commission, and "commissioner" means a member of the fish and wildlife commission. See Tennessee Code 70-1-101
  • Fish: means all species of trout, salmon, walleye, northern pike, bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, perch, sunfish, drum, carp, sucker, shad, minnow, and such other species of fish that are presently found in the state or may be introduced or transplanted into this state for consumptive or nonconsumptive use. See Tennessee Code 70-1-101
  • Hunting: means chasing, driving, flushing, attracting, pursuing, worrying, following after or on the trail of, searching for, trapping, shooting at, stalking, or lying in wait for, any wildlife, whether or not such wildlife is then or subsequently captured, killed, taken, or wounded and every act of assistance to any other person, but "hunting" does not include stalking, attracting, searching for, or lying in wait for, wildlife by an unarmed person solely for the purpose of watching wildlife or taking pictures of wildlife. See Tennessee Code 70-1-101
  • Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
  • Person: means an individual, association, partnership, or corporation. See Tennessee Code 70-1-101
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Trapping: means taking, killing, and capturing wildlife by the use of any trap, snare, deadfall, or other device commonly used to capture wildlife, and the shooting or killing of wildlife lawfully trapped, and includes all lesser acts such as placing, setting, or staking such traps, snares, deadfalls, and other devices, whether or not such acts result in taking of wildlife, and every attempt to take and every act of assistance to any other person in taking or attempting to take wildlife with traps, snares, deadfalls, or other devices. See Tennessee Code 70-1-101
  • Wildlife: means wild vertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. See Tennessee Code 70-1-101
(b)

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (b), each member shall be confirmed by the agriculture and natural resources committee of the house of representatives and the energy, agriculture and natural resources committee of the senate and by joint resolution of the general assembly prior to beginning a term of office.
(2) If the general assembly is not in session at the time a member is appointed to fill a vacancy resulting from the expiration of a term, the member of the commission whose term has expired shall serve until a new appointee is confirmed as provided in subdivision (b)(1).
(3) If the general assembly is not in session at the time a member is appointed to fill a vacancy not resulting from the expiration of a term, the new appointee shall serve for the term appointed unless such appointment is not confirmed within sixty (60) calendar days after the general assembly next convenes in regular session following such appointment.
(4) If the general assembly is not in session when initial appointments are made, all initial appointments shall serve the terms prescribed pursuant to subdivision (c)(1), unless such appointments are not confirmed within sixty (60) calendar days after the general assembly next convenes in regular session following such appointments.
(c)

(1) The entire membership of the wildlife resources commission shall be vacated and shall be replaced by new appointments made to the fish and wildlife commission pursuant to this subsection (c). In order to stagger the terms of the newly appointed commission members, initial appointments shall be made as follows:

(A) Three (3) of the governor’s initial appointments, one (1) from each grand division of the state as provided in § 70-1-204(a), and one (1) initial appointment by each speaker shall be made for a term of two (2) years and eight (8) months;
(B) Three (3) of the governor’s initial appointments, one (1) from each grand division of the state as provided in § 70-1-204(a), and one (1) initial appointment by each speaker shall be made for a term of four (4) years and eight (8) months; and
(C) Three (3) of the governor’s initial appointments, one (1) from each grand division of the state as provided in § 70-1-204(a), shall be made for a term of six (6) years and eight (8) months.
(2) For purpose of calculating terms, the initial term of office of each commission member shall begin on July 1, 2012.
(3) At the conclusion of the initial terms, each regular term of a commission member appointed by a speaker shall be four (4) years and each regular term of a commission member appointed by the governor shall be six (6) years. For purpose of calculating regular terms, each term shall begin on March 1 and shall expire on the last day of February.
(4) No commission member shall serve consecutive terms. For the purposes of this subdivision (c)(4), a commission member shall be considered as having served a term if such member has served more than two (2) years of an initial term, regular term or unexpired term on the fish and wildlife commission.
(5) A vacancy on the commission shall be filled by the appointing authority making the original appointment for the remainder of any unexpired term or, if a term has expired, for a regular term.
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