A bill for an act
relating to game and fish; reducing angling and deer hunting license fees for those
70 and older; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 97A.475, subdivisions
2, 6; 97B.715, subdivision 1; 97B.801.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 97A.475, subdivision 2, is amended to read:


Subd. 2.

Resident hunting.

Fees for the following licenses, to be issued to residents
only, are:

(1) for persons age 18 or over and under age 65 to take small game, $15.50;

(2) for persons age 65 or over, $7 to take small game;

(3) for persons age 18 or over to take turkey, $26;

(4) for persons age 13 or over and under age 18 to take turkey, $5;

(5) for persons age 18 or over to take deer with firearms during the regular firearms
season, $34;

(6) for persons age 18 or over to take deer by archery, $34;

(7) for persons age 18 or over to take deer by muzzleloader during the muzzleloader
season, $34;

new text begin (8) for persons age 70 or over to take deer with firearms during the regular firearms
season, $2;
new text end

deleted text begin (8)deleted text end new text begin (9)new text end to take moose, for a party of not more than six persons, $356;

deleted text begin (9)deleted text end new text begin (10)new text end for persons age 18 or over to take bear, $44;

deleted text begin (10)deleted text end new text begin (11)new text end to take elk, for a party of not more than two persons, $287;

deleted text begin (11)deleted text end new text begin (12)new text end to take Canada geese during a special season, $4;

deleted text begin (12)deleted text end new text begin (13)new text end to take light geese during the light goose conservation order, $2.50;

deleted text begin (13)deleted text end new text begin (14)new text end to take sandhill crane during the sandhill crane season, $3;

deleted text begin (14)deleted text end new text begin (15)new text end to take prairie chickens, $23;

deleted text begin (15)deleted text end new text begin (16)new text end for persons age 13 or over and under age 18 to take deer with firearms during
the regular firearms season, $5;

deleted text begin (16)deleted text end new text begin (17)new text end for persons age 13 or over and under age 18 to take deer by archery, $5;

deleted text begin (17)deleted text end new text begin (18)new text end for persons age 13 or over and under age 18 to take deer by muzzleloader
during the muzzleloader season, $5;

deleted text begin (18)deleted text end new text begin (19)new text end for persons age 10, 11, or 12 to take bear, no fee;

deleted text begin (19)deleted text end new text begin (20)new text end for persons age 13 or over and under age 18 to take bear, $5;

deleted text begin (20)deleted text end new text begin (21)new text end for persons age 18 or over to take small game for a consecutive 72-hour period
selected by the licensee, $19, of which an amount equal to one-half of the fee for the
migratory-waterfowl stamp under subdivision 5, clause (1), shall be deposited in the
waterfowl habitat improvement account under section 97A.075, subdivision 2; one-half of
the fee for the pheasant stamp under subdivision 5, clause (2), shall be deposited in the
pheasant habitat improvement account under section 97A.075, subdivision 4; and one-half
of the small-game surcharge under subdivision 4, shall be deposited in the wildlife acquisition
account;

deleted text begin (21)deleted text end new text begin (22)new text end for persons age 16 or over and under age 18 to take small game, $5;

deleted text begin (22)deleted text end new text begin (23)new text end to take wolf, $30;

deleted text begin (23)deleted text end new text begin (24)new text end for persons age 12 and under to take turkey, no fee;

deleted text begin (24)deleted text end new text begin (25)new text end for persons age 10, 11, or 12 to take deer by firearm, no fee;

deleted text begin (25)deleted text end new text begin (26)new text end for persons age 10, 11, or 12 to take deer by archery, no fee; and

deleted text begin (26)deleted text end new text begin (27)new text end for persons age 10, 11, or 12 to take deer by muzzleloader during the
muzzleloader season, no fee.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 97A.475, subdivision 6, is amended to read:


Subd. 6.

Resident fishing.

Fees for the following licenses, to be issued to residents only,
are:

(1) for persons age 18 or over to take fish by angling, $25;

(2) for persons age 18 or over to take fish by angling, for a combined license for a married
couple, $40;

(3) for persons age 18 or over to take fish by spearing from a dark house, $6, and the
person must possess an angling license;

(4) for persons age 18 or over to take fish by angling for a 24-hour period selected by
the licensee, $12;

(5) for persons age 18 or over to take fish by angling for a consecutive 72-hour period
selected by the licensee, $14;

(6) for persons age 18 or over to take fish by angling for three consecutive years, $71;
deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(7) for persons age 16 or over and under age 18 to take fish by angling, $5deleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (8) for persons age 70 or over to take fish by angling, $2.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 97B.715, subdivision 1, is amended to read:


Subdivision 1.

Stamp required.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) or section
97A.405, subdivision 2, a person required to possess a small-game license may not hunt
pheasants without a pheasant stamp validation.

(b) The following persons are exempt from this subdivision:

(1) residents and nonresidents under age 18 and residents over age 65;

(2) persons hunting on licensed commercial shooting preserves;

(3) resident disabled veterans with a license issued under section 97A.441, subdivision
6a
; and

(4) residents and nonresidents hunting on licenses issued under section 97A.475,
subdivision 2
, clause deleted text begin (20)deleted text end new text begin (21)new text end ; or 3, paragraph (a), clause (16).

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 97B.801, is amended to read:


97B.801 MINNESOTA MIGRATORY-WATERFOWL STAMP REQUIRED.

(a) Except as provided in this section or section 97A.405, subdivision 2, a person required
to possess a small-game license may not take migratory waterfowl without a
migratory-waterfowl stamp validation.

(b) Residents under age 18 or over age 65; resident disabled veterans with a license
issued under section 97A.441, subdivision 6a; and persons hunting on their own property
are not required to possess a stamp validation under this section.

(c) Residents and nonresidents with licenses issued under section 97A.475, subdivision
2
, clause deleted text begin (20)deleted text end new text begin (21)new text end ; or 3, paragraph (a), clause (16), are not required to possess a stamp
validation under this section.

Sec. 5. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Sections 1 to 4 are effective March 1, 2025.