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An Act To Reduce the Cost of Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Certain Veterans and Members of the Military Service
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10202, sub-§16  is enacted to read:
 
16.  Military discounted license reimbursement.     An appropriation from the General Fund to the Search and Rescue Fund established pursuant to section 10260 must be made annually in an amount equal to the revenue lost annually as a result of the hunting and fishing license discounts provided under section 10853, subsection 14.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10260  is enacted to read:
§ 10260.  Search and Rescue Fund
The Search and Rescue Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established in the department's Bureau of Warden Service. All funds credited to the fund pursuant to section 10202, subsection 16 are available for use by the Game Warden Colonel of the Bureau of Warden Service for search and rescue operations as provided under section 10105, subsection 4. Money in the fund at the end of each fiscal year does not lapse and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§14  is enacted to read:
 
14.  Veterans and enlisted service members; discount on licenses.     The following provisions provide discounted license fees for certain service members.
 
A.  A veteran or an enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces, the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard who has served or is currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan or other location associated with the global war on terrorism as determined by the commissioner may apply to the commissioner for a license or licenses to hunt or fish under section 11109 or 12501 for a fee or fees that are 25% less than the fees established under those sections.
 
B.  A veteran or an enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces, the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard who has a service-connected disability as a result of honorable military service in a combat zone in Iraq, Afghanistan or other location associated with the global war on terrorism as determined by the commissioner may apply to the commissioner for a license or licenses to hunt or fish under section 11109 or 12501 for a fee or fees that are 50% less than the fees established under those sections.
 
Each application must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence that the applicant meets the requirements of this subsection. The commissioner shall issue the license or licenses requested under this subsection if the commissioner determines the applicant meets the requirements of this subsection and the applicant is not otherwise ineligible to hold the license or licenses.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides veterans or enlisted members of the United States Armed Forces, the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard who have served or are currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan or other location associated with the global war on terrorism discounts on hunting and fishing licenses. It also establishes a Search and Rescue Fund and provides for a General Fund allocation into that fund in an amount that offsets the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's loss of revenue due to the discounted hunting and fishing licenses.