QUAIL AS "GAME BIRD" & RAISING WITHOUT PERMIT

HB 319 amends New Mexico law to clarify that domestic strains of quail are no longer classified as "game birds" under state wildlife regulations. This change directly affects residents who raise quail for meat or eggs, removing the previous requirement for a permit to do so. The bill's key provision, added as Section 2, explicitly states that "a person may raise quail for the purposes of producing meat or eggs without a permit." The legislation updates the existing definition of game birds to exclude domestic quail, aligning regulations with common agricultural practices for this specific bird. This policy change simplifies compliance for quail raisers without altering hunting or conservation rules for wild quail populations.