HP0114, LD 156, item 1, An Act To Lower the Eligibility Age for a Junior Hunting License

An Act To Lower the Eligibility Age for a Junior Hunting License

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2013, c. 136, §1, is further amended to read:

8. Members of federally recognized nation, band or tribe. The commissioner shall issue a hunting, trapping and fishing license, including an archery hunting license under this chapter, and including permits, stamps and other permission needed to hunt, trap and fish, to a person, 10 8 years of age or older, who is an enrolled member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians or the Aroostook Band of Micmacs that is valid for the life of that person without any charge or fee pursuant to section 11109, if the person presents certification from the respective reservation governor or the Aroostook Micmac Council stating that the person described is an enrolled member of a federally recognized nation, band or tribe listed in this subsection. Holders of these licenses are subject to this Part, including, but not limited to, a lottery or drawing system for issuing a particular license or permit. Members of a federally recognized nation, band or tribe listed in this subsection are exempt from the trapper evaluation program required for a license under section 12201 and the archery hunter education course under section 11106.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11102, as affected by PL 2003, c. 614, §9 and repealed and replaced by c. 655, Pt. B, §111 and affected by §422, is amended to read:

§ 11102. Age limitation for obtaining hunting license

A person under 10 8 years of age is ineligible to obtain a hunting license.

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §11106, sub-§1, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:

B. A resident or nonresident 10 8 years of age or older and under 16 years of age may hunt with bow and arrow if that person holds a valid junior hunting license.

Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11106-A, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 419, §3 and affected by §12, is amended to read:

2. Junior license. A resident or nonresident 10 8 years of age or older and under 16 years of age may hunt with a crossbow if that person holds a valid junior hunting license.

Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §11107, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2005, c. 397, Pt. E, §5, is further amended to read:

2. Junior license. A person 10 8 years of age or older and under 16 years of age may obtain a muzzle-loading permit from the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized agent if the person possesses a valid junior hunting license.

Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §11108, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2005, c. 419, §4 and affected by §12, is further amended to read:

1. On certain land. Notwithstanding section 11109, subsection 1 as it applies to this subchapter, a resident over 10 8 years of age and a member of the resident's immediate family over 10 8 years of age, as long as the hunter's license to hunt is not under suspension or revocation, may hunt without a license, including, but not limited to, an archery hunting license, a crossbow hunting license and a muzzle-loading license, on a single plot of land:

A. To which they are legally entitled to possession;

B. On which they are actually domiciled;

C. That is used exclusively for agricultural purposes; and

D. That is in excess of 10 acres.

Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §11108-C, sub-§§2 and 3, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 538, §20, are amended to read:

2. Eligibility. A resident or nonresident who is at least 10 8 years of age and under 16 years of age may obtain a junior hunting license, which allows that person to hunt subject to the conditions set out in this section.

3. Supervision of junior hunters. A hunter who is at least 10 8 years of age and under 16 years of age may not hunt unless that person holds a junior hunting license and is in the presence of and under the effective control of an adult supervisor.

Sec. 8. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 538, §21, is further amended to read:

A. A resident junior hunting license, for a person 10 8 years of age or older and under 16 years of age, is $7. Notwithstanding the permit fees established in subchapter 3, a resident junior hunting license includes all permits, stamps and other permissions needed to hunt at no additional cost. A resident junior hunting license does not exempt the holder of the license from lottery-related application requirements under this Part.

Sec. 9. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ¶F, as repealed and replaced by PL 2013, c. 538, §22, is amended to read:

F. A nonresident junior hunting license, for a person 10 8 years of age or older and under 16 years of age, is $34. A nonresident junior hunting license does not exempt the holder of the license from lottery-related application requirements under this Part.

SUMMARY

This bill lowers the eligibility age for a junior hunting license from 10 years of age to 8 years of age.

HP0114 LD 156	Session - 127th Maine Legislature		LR 718 Item 1
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