WEST virginia legislature

2021 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 520

By Senators Hamilton, Woodrum, Plymale, Caputo, Stollings, Grady, Romano, Lindsay, and Unger

[Introduced March 2, 2021; referred
to the Committee on Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2B-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to allowing foster parents to purchase lifetime hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses for their foster children.

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.

(c)  In addition to the provisions in subsection (b) of this section for adopted children, foster parents may also purchase a lifetime license for their respective foster children under the same guidelines.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow foster parents to purchase lifetime hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses for foster children.

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