WEST virginia legislature

2020 regular session

ENGROSSED

House Bill 4381

By Delegates J. Jeffries, Bibby, Hanna, Hardy, Cooper, Fast, Steele, Summers, Sypolt, Maynard and Kessinger

[Introduced January 16, 2020; Referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2B-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses for adopted children; providing for children who have been legally adopted to receive their lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping license; providing that adopted children may be eligible for a license until their 12th birthday; and providing that parents of adopted children have two years to obtain the lifetime hunting, fishing, or trapping license from the date of the adoption.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 2B. Wildlife EndowmenT Fund.

§20-2B-7. Lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses created.

(a) Pursuant to §20-2B-3 of this code, the director may issue the following lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and for the lifetime of the licensee, the lifetime licenses serve in lieu of the equivalent annual license: Lifetime resident statewide hunting and trapping license; lifetime resident combination statewide hunting, fishing, and trapping license; lifetime statewide fishing license; and lifetime resident trout fishing license.

(b) The director shall propose a rule for legislative approval in accordance with §29A-3-1 et seq., of this code, setting the fees for the lifetime licenses. The rule shall provide that the fee for any resident who has not reached his or her second birthday shall be one half of the adult fee set under the rule. The rule shall also provide that the fee for any resident who has not reached his or her 12th birthday and has been legally adopted, shall be provided with a period of two years from the date of entry of the order or decree of adoption to obtain his or her lifetime license at one half of the adult fee set under the rule. The fees for lifetime licenses shall be 23 times the fee for the equivalent annual licenses or stamps.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to extend the time for adopted children to obtain a lifetime hunting, fishing and trapping license.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.