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LRB-1194/4
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2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Lawrence, BB0392 - Hunting and fishing licenses for persons who served in Iraq and Afghanistan wars
For 2013-2015 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Veterans
Under current law, DNR issues small game hunting licenses and annual fishing licenses at no charge to any resident who is in active service with the armed forces and who is in the state on furlough or leave.
Under this bill, DNR must issue a resident small game hunting license, a resident deer hunting license, a resident archer hunting license, or a resident annual fishing license without charging a fee to a resident who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (war period) as a member of the U.S. armed forces, or a person who served during a war period and who is a current or former member of a reserve component of the armed forces or national guard. Only one license may be issued to each person who applies and the license must be issued within one year of the person being released or discharged from the armed forces or national guard. In order to obtain the free license, a military service member must first receive a voucher from DVA that he or she then submits to DNR to receive the free license. Under the bill, DVA reimburses DNR for the costs of these licenses.
For further information see the state and local 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:
Section 1. 20.485 (2) (rm) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.485 (2) (rm) Veterans assistance program programs; fish and game vouchers. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for general program operations of the veterans assistance program under s. 45.43 and, for grants under s. 45.03 (13) (j), and for reimbursements to the department of natural resources under s. 29.1945 (2).
****Note: This Section involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
Section 2. 29.1945 of the statutes is created to read:
29.1945 Approvals for veterans and military members. (1) In this section, "war period" means any of the following:
(a) A period between September 11, 2001, and the ending date of Operation Enduring Freedom or an operation that is a successor to Operation Enduring Freedom, as established by the department by rule.
(b) A period between March 19, 2003, and the ending date of Operation Iraqi Freedom or an operation that is a successor to Operation Iraqi Freedom, as established by the department by rule.
(2) The department of veterans affairs shall issue a voucher for a hunting or fishing license to each person who applies for the voucher and who is a qualified veteran. The voucher entitles a qualified veteran receiving the voucher to the waiver of the fee, including the issuing fee, and any applicable surcharge imposed under s. 29.563 (13) (a) for a single hunting or fishing license. The license may be a resident small game hunting license, a resident deer hunting license, a resident archer hunting license, or a resident annual fishing license. To qualify for the fee waiver, the qualified veteran must submit the voucher to the department of natural resources within 365 days after the date on which the qualified veteran is discharged or released. A voucher may not be presented to a person who is subject to an appointment or a contract as authorized under s. 29.024 (6) (a) 2. to 4. but must be submitted directly to the department. Upon receiving the voucher, the department shall waive the fees and any applicable surcharge and issue the license. On an annual basis, the department of veterans affairs shall pay to the department of natural resources an amount that equals the total of fees and surcharges that have been waived by the department of natural resources under this subsection.
(3) (a) For purposes of this section, a qualified veteran is a resident who is one of the following:
1. A veteran, as defined in s. 45.01 (12) (a) to (f), who served in a war period.
2. A member of a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces or of the national guard, as defined in 32 USC 101 (3), who has served in a war period and who has served under honorable conditions for at least one year beginning on the member's date of enlistment in a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces or in the national guard.
3. A person who served in a war period who was discharged from a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces or from the national guard, as defined in 32 USC 101 (3), if that discharge was an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.
(b) For purposes of this section, the department of veterans affairs shall establish a procedure for determining who qualifies as a veteran. Before issuing a license, the department of natural resources shall request the department of veterans affairs to verify whether the applicant is a qualified veteran. If the department of veterans affairs verifies that the applicant for a license is a qualified veteran, the department of natural resources shall issue the license without charging a fee.
(End)