The bill amends the Revised Code to lower the age requirement for discounted hunting and fishing licenses for Ohio residents from 66 years to 65 years. It redefines the term "senior" to mean an applicant who is "sixty-five years of age or older," thereby expanding access to various licenses and permits, including hunting and fishing licenses, deer and wild turkey permits, and fur taker permits. This change aims to alleviate the financial burden on older residents, encouraging greater participation in outdoor recreational activities and promoting wildlife conservation among the state's aging population.

Additionally, the bill allows individuals who are trustees or beneficiaries of a trust with three or fewer members, as well as tenants and their children, to hunt or trap fur-bearing animals on the land owned by the trust or where they reside without needing a fur taker permit. It establishes a multi-year and lifetime license fund to manage fees collected from these licenses and outlines a fee structure for various fishing and hunting licenses, including options for annual, multi-year, and lifetime licenses. The bill also includes provisions for one-day fishing licenses and the ability to credit the fee from a one-day license towards an annual license, while repealing several existing sections of the Revised Code that are now superseded by these changes.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 1533.10, 1533.11, 1533.111, 1533.32, 1533.321