1 HB156
2 208587-2
3 By Representative Whitt
4 RFD: Military and Veterans Affairs
5 First Read: 02-FEB-21
6 PFD: 01/26/2021
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8 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, the Department of
9 Conservation and Natural Resources does not offer a
10 lifetime hunting or fishing license to disabled
11 U.S. military veterans for a reduced price.
12 This bill would provide for the Department
13 of Conservation and Natural Resources to issue
14 lifetime hunting and fishing licenses at a reduced
15 price to qualified disabled U.S. military veterans
16 who reside in Alabama and meet the certain
17 conditions.
18
19 A BILL
20 TO BE ENTITLED
21 AN ACT
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23 Relating to the Department of Conservation and
24 Natural Resources; to add Section 9-11-65.3 to the Code of
25 Alabama 1975, to provide for the Department of Conservation
26 and Natural Resources to issue lifetime hunting, freshwater
27 fishing, and saltwater fishing licenses to disabled U.S.
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1 military veterans who are residents of this state; and to
2 establish fees, qualifications, and conditions for the
3 licenses.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
5 Section 1. Section 9-11-65.3 is added to the Code of
6 Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
7 Section 9-11-65.3.
8 (a) Effective beginning with the license year
9 commencing on September 1, 2021, the Department of
10 Conservation and Natural Resources shall issue resident
11 lifetime hunting and fishing licenses to disabled U.S.
12 military veterans subject to the fees, qualifications, and
13 conditions as provided in this section.
14 (b) Hunting License.
15 (1) A U.S. military veteran who is certified by the
16 U.S. Veterans Administration as 40 percent or more physically
17 disabled and who meets the residency requirements of Section
18 9-11-44 may in lieu of purchasing an annual hunting license
19 purchase a lifetime disabled military veteran's appreciation
20 hunting license for the following applicable fee:
21 a. Disabled military veterans less than 50 years
22 old: sixty dollars ($60).
23 b. Disabled military veterans 50 years old or older:
24 thirty dollars ($30).
25 (2) A U.S. military veteran who is certified by the
26 U.S. Veterans Administration as 100 percent, service-connected
27 permanently and totally disabled and who meets the residency
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1 requirements of Section 9-11-44 may in lieu of purchasing an
2 annual hunting license purchase a lifetime resident 100
3 percent disabled military veteran's appreciation hunting
4 license for the following applicable fee.
5 a. Disabled military veterans less than 50 years
6 old: forty-five dollars ($45).
7 b. Disabled military veterans 50 years old or older:
8 twenty-five dollars ($25).
9 (3) The license fees collected pursuant to this
10 subsection shall be deposited into the Alabama Game and Fish
11 Endowment Fund.
12 (c) Freshwater Fishing License.
13 (1) A U.S. military veteran meeting the disability
14 and residency requirements of Section 9-11-53 may in lieu of
15 purchasing an annual freshwater fishing license purchase a
16 lifetime disabled military veteran's appreciation freshwater
17 fishing license for the following applicable fee:
18 a. Disabled military veterans less than 50 years
19 old: forty-five dollars ($45).
20 b. Disabled military veterans 50 years old or older:
21 twenty-five dollars ($25).
22 (2) The license fees collected pursuant to this
23 subsection shall be deposited into the Alabama Game and Fish
24 Endowment Fund.
25 (d) Saltwater Fishing License.
26 (1) A U.S. military veteran meeting the disability
27 and residency requirements of Section 9-11-53.1 may in lieu of
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1 purchasing an annual saltwater fishing license purchase a
2 lifetime resident disabled military veteran's appreciation
3 saltwater fishing license for the following applicable fees:
4 a. Disabled military veterans less than 50 years
5 old: forty-five dollars ($45).
6 b. Disabled military veterans 50 years old or older:
7 twenty-five dollars ($25).
8 (2) The license fees collected pursuant to this
9 subsection shall be deposited into the Marine Resources
10 Endowment Fund.
11 (e) Combination License. The Department may offer a
12 combination lifetime license for hunting, freshwater fishing,
13 and saltwater fishing to disabled military veterans for a
14 total of the applicable license fees listed in this section.
15 (f) In addition to paying any license fee required
16 by this section, an applicant shall pay an issuance fee of one
17 dollar and ten cents ($1.10) when submitting his or her
18 license application.
19 (g) The license fees and issuance fees prescribed in
20 this section are subject to adjustment pursuant to Section
21 9-11-68 and Section 9-11-69.
22 (h) Applications for lifetime licenses authorized by
23 this section shall be filed in the office of the Commissioner
24 of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or as
25 otherwise authorized by the commissioner on forms prescribed
26 by the commissioner.
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1 (i) Lifetime licenses issued pursuant to this
2 section are not transferrable.
3 (j) Nonresidents of this state may not purchase the
4 licenses provided for in this section.
5 (k) The holder of a valid disabled military
6 veteran's hunting or disabled military veteran's freshwater
7 fishing license shall also be entitled to all of the
8 privileges of the wildlife heritage license.
9 Section 2. This act shall become effective on the
10 first day of the third month following its passage and
11 approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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