SB683: Bill Text

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2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE

2009 Senate BILL 683

April 12, 2010 - Introduced by Senators Decker, Lehman, Schultz and Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Sinicki, Kaufert, Pridemore, Petrowski and Suder. Referred to Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.

SB683,1,3 An Act to amend 29.024 (2) (d); and to create 29.184 (6m) of the statutes; relating to: transfer of Class A bear licenses to persons awarded a purple heart medal.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issues two types of bear hunting licenses. A Class A bear license allows the license holder to shoot and kill bear. A Class B bear license allows the license holder to assist a Class A bear license holder in pursuing bear, to bait bear, and to train dogs to pursue bear, but it does not allow the license holder to actually shoot at or kill bear. DNR administers a cumulative preference system for issuing Class A bear licenses if the number of applicants for the licenses exceeds the number of licenses available. The more preference points an applicant has, the higher the priority he or she is given in the issuance of the Class A bear licenses.

This bill allows a person who is issued a Class A bear license to transfer that license to a person who was awarded a purple heart medal. The bill provides that a purple heart medal recipient may be the transferee of a Class A bear license only once during his or her lifetime. The transfer of a license to a purple heart medal recipient does not affect the number of preference points that the transferee may have previously acquired under the cumulative preference system. The bill allows both residents and nonresidents to transfer Class A bear licenses and allows both residents and nonresident to be the transferees. No fee in addition to the original fee paid by the transferor of the license is required except that, if a resident transfers a license to a nonresident, the resident must pay a fee equal to the difference between the fees for the nonresident and resident license. There is no rebate of the fee if a nonresident transfers a license to a resident.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB683, s. 1 Section 1. 29.024 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB683,2,4 29.024 (2) (d) Except as provided under s. 29.179, 29.180, 29.182 (4), 29.184 (6m), or 29.519 (2) (d) or by rule, no person may transfer his or her approval or permit the use of any approval by any other person.

SB683, s. 2 Section 2. 29.184 (6m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB683,2,13 29.184 (6m) Transfer of Class A bear licenses. (a) Upon application by a holder of a Class A bear license to transfer the license to a person awarded the purple heart medal, and upon the payment of any fee required under par. (b), the department shall transfer the license to the person awarded the purple heart medal if the application is made no later than 15 days immediately preceding the open season for the hunting of bear to which the license applies and if the person awarded the purple heart medal has not been previously transferred a license under this subsection.

SB683,2,17 (b) If the holder of a Class A bear license is a resident and the holder applies to transfer the license to a nonresident, the holder shall pay, at the time of application, the difference between the fee for a Class A bear license to a resident and the fee for a Class A bear license to a nonresident.

SB683,2,20 (c) Notwithstanding sub. (6) (b), a person who is transferred a Class A bear license under this subsection shall retain all preference points that he or she has previously accumulated.

SB683,3,2 (d) A holder of a Class A bear license being transferred under this subsection may not receive any consideration for the transfer of the license.

SB683,3,3 (End)