2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-3140/1
ZDW:cjs
October 2, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Smith, Ratcliff, Hesselbein, Jacque and Keyeski, cosponsored by Representatives Goodwin, Mursau, Sinicki, Stroud and Stubbs. Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage.
SB505,1,3
1An Act to create 29.173 (2) (c) of the statutes; relating to: authorizing
2resident disabled veterans to hunt deer of either sex in any open firearm
3season. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources issues approvals that authorize the hunting, fishing, and trapping of wild animals. Current law confers certain hunting and fishing benefits upon residents who are members of the U.S. armed forces who are in active service with the U.S. armed forces outside the state and on furlough or leave within the state. One benefit is that a qualified service member who holds a current resident deer hunting license may hunt deer of either sex during any season open to hunting of deer with firearms.
This bill provides the same benefit to a resident disabled veteran, which is defined to mean a veteran who is receiving disability compensation benefits for disabilities that result in a disability rating that is 50 percent or greater or is receiving disability compensation benefits due to being individually unemployable.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB505,1
1Section 1. 29.173 (2) (c) of the statutes is created to read: SB505,2,10229.173 (2) (c) A disabled veteran holding a current resident deer hunting 3license may hunt deer of either sex during any season open to hunting of deer with 4firearms that is established by the department. For purposes of this paragraph, a 5disabled veteran is a resident who produces evidence that shows that he or she is a 6veteran, as defined in 38 USC 101, and is receiving disability compensation benefits 7under 38 USC 1101 to 1163 for disabilities that result in a disability rating that is 850 percent or greater under 38 USC 1114 or 1134, or is receiving disability 9compensation benefits due to being individually unemployable under 38 CFR 4.16 10as authorized under 38 USC 501.
