A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to expand the membership and change the manner of choosing the members of the currituck county game commission, to make changes to the compensation provided to members of the commission and the clerk of the commission, and to provide that no float blinds may be tied within three hundred yards of a residence in currituck county.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Section 5 of Chapter 1436 of the 1957 Session Laws, as amended by Chapter 622 of the 1981 Session Laws and by Section 1 of S.L. 2003‑16, reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 5. A Game Commission of Currituck County is hereby created which Commission shall consist of  seven members, each of whom shall be thoroughly acquainted with migratory water fowl shooting both ashore and afloat. The Game Commission shall be selected and appointed by the Board of County Commissioners of Currituck County, but no member shall be removed except upon the unanimous vote of all the members of the board of commissioners. One member shall be chosen from each of the five county commissioner residency districts, and two members shall be appointed to serve at large. In the event of a vacancy, successors to the members of the Commission shall be similarly appointed.
The members of said Game Commission shall be appointed by the board of county commissioners on the first Monday in July, 1957 and thereafter on the first Monday of June of each year as terms expire, and shall hold their offices for terms of two years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified, provided the terms of those appointed on the first Monday of July, 1957, shall expire on the first Monday of June, 1959, and provided that present members serving on date of ratification shall finish their terms.
The said Game Commission acting with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission shall have charge of the enforcement of this and all migratory wild fowl game laws in Currituck County, and the said Game commission acting with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission shall have the power and authority to prescribe rules and regulations for the enforcement of such game laws and the protection of wild fowl life in said county, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act. It is expressly provided that said Game Commission may establish sanctuaries or rest areas in which no wild fowl may be shot, hunted or disturbed."
SECTION 2.  Section 18 of Chapter 1436 of the 1957 Session Laws, as rewritten by Section 9 of Chapter 622 of the 1981 Session Laws and by Section 3 of S.L. 1997‑163, reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 18. The Game Commission of Currituck County is empowered to pay the necessary fees of attorneys, surveyors, and accountants; the costs of printing license forms for hunting blind licenses to be furnished to the clerk to the Game Commission; and other necessary expenses of carrying out the duties imposed by this act. Each member shall be paid a per diem of ten dollars ($10.00) and travel expenses of the allowable rate as set by the Internal Revenue Service business standard while engaged in official business of the Game Commission. The Chairman of the Game Commission shall be paid one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) per year in addition to per diem and travel for the fulfillment of his duties as chairman, in such installments as the Commission may direct. Each Game Commission member shall receive an annual salary of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year  in addition to per diem and travel in such installments as the Game Commission may direct. The clerk to the Game Commission shall receive an annual salary of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the performance of his duties for the Game Commission in addition to his fees for issuing licenses.
In addition, the Game Commission may disburse excess funds generated from fees to an organization established as a nonprofit corporation under North Carolina law for the purpose of conservation, habitat enhancement, and waterfowl protection in Currituck County. The board of directors of this corporation shall be appointed by the Currituck County Board of Commissioners and shall include a representative designated by the Wildlife Resources Commission as a nonvoting member.
Prior to the beginning of the Game Commission's fiscal year it shall file a copy of its budget for that year with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Within 30 days following receipt of the audit report made after the close of a fiscal year, the Game Commission shall file a copy of the audit report with the Wildlife Commission."
SECTION 3.  Section 20 of Chapter 1436 of the 1957 Session Laws, as amended by Section 10 of Chapter 622 of the 1981 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 20. Every blind of any kind shall be located not less than five hundred (500) feet from any blind of any kind. No float blinds shall be tied within 300 yards of any residence.
This section shall not apply to blinds closer together than five hundred (500) yards on the effective date of this Act, but shall be applicable to any such blinds as, and when, one of said blinds becomes vacant."
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2009.