Lead ammunition ban awaits California governor’s signature
HUNTING -- The California Senate on Monday passed legislation to protect the state’s condors, eagles and other wildlife from lead poisoning by requiring the use of nonlead ammunition for all hunting by 2019.
Assembly Bill 711 passed by a vote of 23-15 after being approved by the state Assembly in May.
If the bill is signed by the governor, California would be the first state in the country to require the use of nontoxic bullets and shot for all hunting.
The legislation would require the state Fish and Game Commission to issue regulations by July 1, 2015, that phase in use of nonlead ammunition for hunting of all kinds, including game mammals, game birds, nongame birds and nongame mammals. These requirements would be fully implemented statewide by July 1, 2019.
Nontarget birds and other wildlife are poisoned from scavenging carcasses containing lead-bullet fragments, eating lead-poisoned prey, or ingesting spent lead-shot pellets, mistaking them for food or grit.