‘An Act To Increase the Number of Disabled Veterans That Are Eligible for Complimentary Lifetime Licenses and To Create the Search and Rescue Fund’
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1.
Amend the bill in section 2 in the first line (page 1, line 7 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "§10260" and inserting in its place the following: '§10261'
Amend the bill in section 2 in §10260 in the first line (page 1, line 8 in L.D.) by striking out the following: " §10260." and inserting the following: ' §10261.'
Amend the bill in section 2 in the first paragraph in the 3rd line (page 1, line 11 in L.D.) by striking out the following: " section 10202, subsection 16" and inserting in its place the following: ' section 10853, subsection 4'
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 477, §2, is further amended to read:
4. Resident disabled veteran. A resident disabled veteran may apply to the commissioner for one or more of the following complimentary permits and licenses: a license to hunt with a firearm, a license to trap, a license to fish, archery hunting licenses as provided in section 11109, subsection 7, a pheasant hunting permit as provided in section 11156, a muzzle-loading hunting permit as provided in section 11109, subsection 4, a migratory waterfowl permit under section 11157, a bear hunting permit under section 11151 and, upon meeting the qualifications as established in section 12853, subsection 4, a guide license. The commissioner shall issue the permit or permits or license or licenses requested under this subsection if the commissioner determines the applicant is a resident disabled veteran and is not otherwise ineligible to hold that permit or license. For the purposes of this subsection, "resident disabled veteran" means a person who:
A. Is a resident as defined in section 10001, subsection 53;
B. Is a veteran as defined in Title 37-B, section 505, subsection 2, paragraph A, subparagraph (3) . For purposes of this subsection, "veteran" means a person who served in the military or naval forces of the United States who was not dishonorably discharged and entered the service from this State or resided in this State for 5 years immediately preceding application under this subsection; and
C. Has a service-connected disability evaluated at : 50% or more.
(1) One hundred percent; or
(2) Seventy percent or more as a result of honorable military service and who has served in a combat zone during any armed conflict in which participants were exposed to war risk hazards as defined in 42 United States Code, Section 1711 (b).
Each application must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence that the applicant meets the requirements of this subsection. A permit or license issued under this subsection remains valid for the life of the permit or license holder, as long as the permit or license holder continues to satisfy the residency requirement in section 10001, subsection 53 and the permit or license is not revoked or suspended.
An appropriation from the General Fund in addition to any appropriation made pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 22 must be made annually to the department in an amount equal to the revenue lost annually as a result of the department's providing complementary licenses and permits under this subsection instead of having each license and permit purchased individually at the regular fee. The department must deposit any appropriation pursuant to this subsection in the Search and Rescue Fund established in section 10261.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, DEPARTMENT OF
Search and Rescue 0538
Initiative: Provides funds to reimburse the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to comply with the requirements of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 10853, subsection 4.
| GENERAL FUND | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
All Other
|
$673,663 | $673,663 |
 |
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $673,663 | $673,663 |
Search and Rescue 0538
Initiative: Provides the necessary allocation to the Search and Rescue Fund as required by the provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 10853, subsection 4.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
All Other
|
$673,663 | $673,663 |
|
|
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL | $673,663 | $673,663 |
| INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, DEPARTMENT OF | ||
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
GENERAL FUND
|
$673,663 | $673,663 |
|
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
|
$673,663 | $673,663 |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS | $1,347,326 | $1,347,326 |
summary
This amendment changes the title of the bill and replaces the provision of the bill proposing to provide discounted license fees for certain veterans with language that increases the number of disabled veterans that are eligible to receive complimentary lifetime licenses and permits to hunt, fish, trap and guide by reducing the level of disability from 100% for noncombat military and 70% for combat-related disability to 50% or more disability for all veterans. It also clarifies the definition of "veteran" and how the loss of revenues to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for providing these complimentary licenses to be reimbursed from the General Fund. It changes the allocation of the laws establishing the Search and Rescue Fund in order to avoid creating a conflict. It also adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)