PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act Concerning Certain Hunting License Fees and Antlerless Deer Permits
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§1,  as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
 
1. Residents over 70 years of age.   A complimentary license to hunt, trap or fish, including an archery hunting license under section 11109, subsection 7, a pheasant hunting permit under section 11156, a muzzle-loading hunting license under section 11109, subsection 4, a migratory waterfowl permit under section 11157 and a bear hunting permit under section 11151 must be, issued to a resident who is 70 years of age or older upon application to the commissionerremains valid for the remainder of the life of the license or permit holder as long as the license or permit holder continues to satisfy the residency requirements set out in section 10001, subsection 53 and the license or permit is not revoked or suspended.
 
A.   A resident who applies for a complimentary license under this section at any time during the calendar year of that resident's 70th birthday must be issued a license upon application, regardless of the actual date during that calendar year in which that resident attains 70 years of age. A guide license may be renewed without charge for a resident who is 70 years of age or older upon application to the commissioner. The application must be accompanied by a birth certificate or other certified evidence of the applicant's date of birth and residency.
 
B.   Beginning January 1, 2006, the department may not issue a complimentary license to a resident over 70 years of age. A complimentary license issued to a resident over 70 years of age prior to January 1, 2006 is valid as long as the license holder satisfies the residency requirements set out in section 10001, subsection 53.
 
C.   A complimentary license issued under this subsection remains valid for the remainder of the life of the license holder, as long as the license holder continues to satisfy the residency requirements set out in section 10001, subsection 53 and the license is not revoked or suspended.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§1-B  is enacted to read:
 
1-B.  Residents 65 years of age or older.     A resident who is 65 years of age or older who has purchased a Maine hunting license for 10 years or more may apply to the commissioner for one or more of the following complimentary licenses or permits: a license to hunt with a firearm; an archery hunting license under section 11109, subsection 7; a pheasant hunting permit under section 11156; a muzzle-loading hunting permit under section 11109, subsection 4; a migratory waterfowl permit under section 11157; a bear hunting permit under section 11151; an antlerless deer hunting permit under section 11152; and a wild turkey hunting permit under section 11155. The commissioner shall issue the license or permit requested under this subsection if the commissioner determines that the applicant meets the requirements of this subsection and is not otherwise ineligible to hold that permit or license.
 
A.  A resident who applies for a complimentary license or permit under this subsection at any time during the calendar year of that resident's 65th birthday may be issued that license or permit regardless of the actual date during that calendar year in which the resident attains 65 years of age. The application must be accompanied by a birth certificate or other certified evidence of the applicant's date of birth, proof of residency and satisfactory proof that the applicant has purchased a Maine hunting license for 10 years or more.
 
B.  Complimentary licenses and permits issued under this subsection remain valid for the remainder of the life of the license or permit holder as long as that person continues to satisfy the residency requirements set out in section 10001, subsection 53 and the license or permit is not revoked or suspended.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§6-A  is enacted to read:
 
6-A.  Veterans honorably discharged.     An honorably discharged resident veteran who has purchased a Maine hunting license for 10 years or more may apply to the commissioner for one or more of the following complimentary licenses and permits: a license to hunt with a firearm; an archery hunting license under section 11109, subsection 7; a pheasant hunting permit under section 11156; a muzzle-loading hunting permit under section 11109, subsection 4; a migratory waterfowl permit under section 11157; a bear hunting permit under section 11151; and a wild turkey hunting permit under section 11155. The commissioner shall issue a license or permit requested under this subsection if the commissioner determines that the applicant meets the requirements of this subsection and is not otherwise ineligible to hold that permit or license.
 
A.  Each application must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence that the applicant meets the requirements of this subsection. For the purposes of this subsection, "resident veteran" means a person who is a resident as defined in section 10001, subsection 53 and served in the United States Armed Forces.
 
B.  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.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §11109, sub-§3, ¶A,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §4, is further amended to read:
 
A.  A resident junior hunting license, for a person 10 years of age or older and under 16 years of age, is $7. For a person under 16 years of age who is purchasing this license at the same time as that person’s parent or legal guardian is purchasing another hunting license under this section, the fee is $5.
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §11152, sub-§8  is enacted to read:
 
8.  Purchase of unallocated antlerless deer permits.     An antlerless deer permit system adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section must include a provision that a person who applied for and is eligible to receive a permit under this section but did not receive a permit through the permit system may, if permits are available, purchase a permit that was not originally allocated through the permit system for that year. The fee for the permit is $100.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides complimentary hunting licenses and permits to residents 65 years of age or older and honorably discharged veterans if they have purchased a Maine hunting license for at least 10 years. It provides that a person who applied for but did not receive an antlerless deer permit through the lottery system may purchase an antlerless deer permit that was not otherwise allocated through the lottery system for a fee of $100. This bill also lowers the fee for a junior resident hunting license from $7 to $5 if a person under 16 years of age purchases the license at the same time that person’s parent or guardian purchases a hunting license. It also removes antiquated language regarding complimentary licenses for residents over 70 years of age.