The bill aims to enhance youth participation in fishing and shellfishing by raising the age requirement for obtaining a fishing license from 15 to 18 years old. This change is intended to alleviate financial barriers for younger individuals, allowing them to engage in outdoor activities without the burden of license fees. The bill also updates the definition of "youth" to encompass individuals aged 18 and under for fishing and under 16 for hunting, reflecting a broader understanding of youth engagement in these activities.

In addition to the age adjustments, the bill revises several sections of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) to modify license fees and regulations. It introduces a temporary combination fishing license that is not valid for game fish species for an eight-day period at the start of the lowland lake fishing season, along with a fee structure for active duty military personnel. A 50 cent surcharge is added for the temporary combination fishing license, which will support rockfish research. The bill also raises the minimum age for personal use shellfish and seaweed licenses from 15 to 18 years and adjusts various license fees for residents, nonresidents, and seniors, while allowing the commission to establish rules for combination licenses and the use of two fishing poles.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 77.08.010, 77.32.470, 77.32.520