WEST virginia legislature

2018 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Bill 536

By Senators Jeffries, Unger, Takubo, and Beach

[Originating in the Committee on Natural Resources; Reported on February 21, 2018]

A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2B-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to authorizing lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses for foster or adoptive children who have not reached the second year of their placement to be the same cost as resident children who have not reached their second birthday; and permitting full-time, nonresident students attending an in-state college or university to purchase lifetime resident statewide hunting, trapping, trout fishing, and fishing licenses.

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: Provided, That a full-time nonresident student who attends an in-state college or university is not eligible to purchase any of these lifetime licenses.

(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 foster or adoptive child who has not reached his or her second year from placement by the State of West Virginia in his or her current home shall be 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 allow foster and adoptive children to obtain a lifetime hunting, fishing and trapping license within two years of their placement at the same rate as a child who has not reached his or her second birthday

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