SB289: Hunting and fishing licenses; establishes infant lifetime licenses for those under age two.

SENATE BILL NO. 289
Offered January 13, 2010
Prefiled January 12, 2010
A BILL to amend and reenact § 29.1-302.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to establishing infant lifetime hunting and fishing licenses.
Patron-- Deeds

Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 29.1-302.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 29.1-302.1. Special lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for residents and nonresidents.

A. Any resident or nonresident individual may apply for and receive from the Department, after payment of the appropriate fee, any of the following lifetime licenses which shall be valid for the life of the individual, nontransferable, and permit the person to engage in the licensed activity on any property in the Commonwealth according to restrictions and regulations of law:

1. A basic resident lifetime hunting license, to be obtained for a fee of $250. This license is valid for the lifetime of the license holder even if the license holder becomes a nonresident of the Commonwealth subsequent to the purchase of the license.

2. A basic resident lifetime fishing license, to be obtained for a fee of $250. This license is valid for the lifetime of the license holder even if the license holder becomes a nonresident of the Commonwealth subsequent to the purchase of the license.

3. A basic nonresident lifetime hunting license, to be obtained for a fee of $500.

4. A basic nonresident lifetime fishing license, to be obtained for a fee of $500.

5. A junior resident lifetime hunting license that is valid until an individual's twelfth birthday, and which is transferable to a resident lifetime hunting license for no additional fee upon proof of completion of a hunter education course or equivalent, may be obtained for a fee of $250.

6. A junior nonresident lifetime hunting license that is valid until an individual's twelfth birthday, and which is transferable to a nonresident lifetime hunting license for no additional fee upon proof of completion of a hunter education course or equivalent, may be obtained for a fee of $500.

7. An infant resident lifetime hunting license, to be obtained for a fee of $125. This license shall be issued only to an individual who is younger than two years of age and shall be valid until an individual's twelfth birthday. Upon proof of completion of a hunter education course or equivalent, this license shall be transferable to a resident lifetime hunting license for no additional fee. This license shall remain valid even if the license holder becomes a nonresident of the Commonwealth subsequent to the purchase of the license.

8. An infant nonresident lifetime hunting license, to be obtained for a fee of $250. This license shall be issued only to an individual who is younger than two years of age and shall be valid until an individual's twelfth birthday. Upon proof of completion of a hunter education course or equivalent, this license shall be transferable to a nonresident lifetime hunting license for no additional fee. This license shall remain valid even if the license holder becomes a resident of the Commonwealth subsequent to the purchase of the license.

9. An infant resident lifetime fishing license, to be obtained for a fee of $125. This license shall be issued only to an individual who is younger than two years of age. This license is valid for the lifetime of the license holder even if the license holder becomes a nonresident of the Commonwealth subsequent to the purchase of the license.

10. An infant nonresident lifetime fishing license, to be obtained for a fee of $250. This license shall be issued only to an individual who is younger than two years of age. This license is valid for the lifetime of the license holder even if the license holder becomes a resident of the Commonwealth subsequent to the purchase of the license.

Such basic lifetime hunting licenses shall serve in lieu of the state resident hunting license as provided for in subdivision 2 of § 29.1-303, or state nonresident hunting license as provided for in subdivision 3 of § 29.1-303. Such basic lifetime fishing licenses shall serve in lieu of the state resident fishing license as provided for in subdivision A 2 of § 29.1-310 or state nonresident fishing license as provided for in subdivision A 3 of § 29.1-310.

B. Applications for all lifetime hunting and fishing licenses authorized by this section shall be made to the Department. The form and issuance of such a license shall conform to the provisions of this chapter for all licenses.

Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, all money credited to, held by, or to be received by the Department from the sale of licenses authorized by this section shall be consolidated and placed in the Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Endowment Fund established in § 29.1-101.1.

C. Any resident who is permanently disabled, as defined in § 58.1-3217, who applies for either of the resident lifetime licenses authorized by this section shall receive such a license for a fee of five dollars $5. The applicant shall provide proof of permanent disability acceptable to the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

D. Any resident forty-five 45 years of age or older who applies for either of the resident lifetime licenses authorized by this section shall receive such a license for one of the following fees based on age: age forty-five 45 through fifty 50, $200; age fifty-one 51 through fifty-five 55, $150; age fifty-six 56 through sixty 60, $100; age sixty-one 61 through sixty-four 64, $50; and age sixty-five 65 or older, $10.

E. The Board may subsequently revise the cost of licenses set forth in this section pursuant to § 29.1-103.