Substitute House Bill No. 6314 introduces amendments to the general statutes concerning fees for hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses in the state, offering a 50% discount to veterans and active duty members of the armed forces. This discount applies to various licenses and associated permits, tags, or stamps, and is rounded to the next highest dollar. The bill retains the current provision for Connecticut residents aged sixteen or seventeen, who are charged half the standard fee for these licenses. It also defines "veteran" and "armed forces" according to section 27-103, with the bill's changes marked by insertions and deletions, and is set to become effective on July 1, 2023.

The bill also addresses deer management and hunting regulations, including the issuance of permits and the standards for deer management set by the commissioner. It specifies fees for deer hunting permits for residents and nonresidents, removes the resident rate for nonresident active duty armed forces members, and provides for free private land deer permits for qualifying landowners and their families. The bill outlines the requirements for obtaining a bow and arrow permit and the associated fees, repeals the resident rate for nonresident armed forces members, and requires completion of a conservation education course for permit issuance. The bill's fiscal impact includes an estimated annual revenue loss for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) due to the fee reductions for veterans and active duty armed forces members, and a potential loss in federal reimbursements.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 26-28
VA Joint Favorable: 26-28, 26-86c
File No. 22: 26-28, 26-86c