98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB4500
 
Introduced , by Rep. Robert F. Martwick
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:



      
625 ILCS 5/3-609 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-609
515 ILCS 5/20-45 from Ch. 56, par. 20-45
520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2

 Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any veteran who holds proof of a service-connected disability from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and who has obtained certification from a psychiatrist that the service-connected disability qualifies the veteran for issuance of registration plates or decals to a person with disabilities, may, without the payment of any registration fee, make application to the Secretary of State for disabled veterans license plates displaying the international symbol of access. Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2014 license year, a veteran who holds proof of a service-connected disability from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and whose degree of disability has been declared to be 50% or more, shall be eligible for a free fishing license. Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2014 license year, a veteran who holds proof of a service-connected disability from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and whose degree of disability has been declared to be 50% or more, shall be eligible for a free hunting license. Effective immediately.



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A BILL FOR
 


HB4500LRB098 17937 MGM 53061 b



1 AN ACT concerning veterans.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing 
5Section 3-609 as follows:




6 (625 ILCS 5/3-609) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-609)


7 Sec. 3-609. Disabled Veterans' Plates. 
8 (a) Any veteran who holds proof of a service-connected 
9disability from the United States Department of Veterans 
10Affairs, and who has obtained certification from a licensed 
11physician, physician assistant, psychiatrist, or advanced 
12practice nurse that the service-connected disability qualifies 
13the veteran for issuance of registration plates or decals to a 
14person with disabilities in accordance with Section 3-616, may, 
15without the payment of any registration fee, make application 
16to the Secretary of State for disabled veterans license plates 
17displaying the international symbol of access, for the 
18registration of one motor vehicle of the first division or one 
19motor vehicle of the second division weighing not more than 
208,000 pounds.
21 (b) Any veteran who holds proof of a service-connected 
22disability from the United States Department of Veterans 
23Affairs, and whose degree of disability has been declared to be 
 
 
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150% or more, but whose disability does not qualify the veteran 
2for a plate or decal for persons with disabilities under 
3Section 3-616, may, without the payment of any registration 
4fee, make application to the Secretary for a special 
5registration plate without the international symbol of access 
6for the registration of one motor vehicle of the first division 
7or one motor vehicle of the second division weighing not more 
8than 8,000 pounds.

9 (c) Renewal of such registration must be accompanied with 
10documentation
for eligibility of registration without fee 
11unless the applicant has a
permanent qualifying disability, and 
12such registration plates may not be
issued to any person not 
13eligible therefor. The Illinois Department of Veterans' 
14Affairs may assist in providing the
documentation of 
15disability.

16 (d) The design and color of the plates shall be within the 
17discretion of the Secretary, except that the plates issued 
18under subsection (b) of this Section shall not contain the 
19international symbol of access. The Secretary may, in his or 
20her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or 
21personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this 
22Code. Registration shall be for a multi-year period and may be 
23issued staggered registration. 
24 (e) Any person eligible to receive license plates under 
25this Section who has been approved for benefits under the 
26Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act, 
 
 
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1or who has claimed and received a grant under that Act, shall 
2pay a fee of $24 instead of the fee otherwise provided in this 
3Code for passenger cars displaying standard multi-year 
4registration plates issued under Section 3-414.1, for motor 
5vehicles registered at 8,000 pounds or less under Section 
63-815(a), or for recreational vehicles registered at 8,000 
7pounds or less under Section 3-815(b), for a second set of 
8plates under this Section.

9(Source: P.A. 97-689, eff. 6-14-12; 97-918, eff. 1-1-13; 
1098-463, eff. 8-16-13.)


11 Section 10. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by 
12changing Section 20-45 as follows:



13 (515 ILCS 5/20-45) (from Ch. 56, par. 20-45)



14 Sec. 20-45. License fees for residents. Fees for licenses 
15for residents
of the State of Illinois shall be as follows:


16  (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for 
17 sport fishing
devices as defined in Section 10-95 or 
18 spearing devices as defined in
Section 10-110, the fee is 
19 $14.50 for individuals 16 to 64 years old,
one-half of the 
20 current fishing license fee for individuals age 65 or 
21 older,
and, commencing with the 2012 license year, one-half 
22 of the current fishing license fee for resident veterans of 
23 the United States Armed Forces after returning from service 
24 abroad or mobilization by the President of the United 
 
 
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1 States. Veterans must provide, to the Department at one of 
2 the Department's 5 regional offices, verification of their 
3 service. The Department shall establish what constitutes 
4 suitable verification of service for the purpose of issuing 
5 fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee. 
6 Beginning with the 2014 license year, a veteran who holds 
7 proof of a service-connected disability from the federal 
8 Department of Veterans Affairs, and whose degree of 
9 disability has been declared to be 50% or more, shall be 
10 eligible for a free fishing license. Renewal of that 
11 license must be accompanied with documentation for 
12 eligibility of license without a fee, unless the applicant 
13 has a permanent qualifying disability, in which case, the 
14 disabled veteran is not required to renew the license. The 
15 Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs may assist in 
16 providing the documentation of disability. 


17  (b) All residents before using any commercial fishing 
18 device shall
obtain a commercial fishing license, the fee 
19 for which shall be $60 and a resident fishing license, the 
20 fee for which is $14.50.
Each and every commercial device 
21 used shall be licensed by a resident
commercial fisherman 
22 as follows:


23   (1) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction thereof, 
24 of seine
the fee is $18. For each minnow seine, minnow 
25 trap, or net for commercial
purposes the fee is $20.


26   (2) For each device to fish with a 100 hook trot 
 
 
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1 line
device,
basket trap, hoop net, or dip net the fee 
2 is $3.


3   (3) When used in the waters of Lake Michigan, for 
4 the first 2000
lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of 
5 gill net the fee is $10; and
for each 1000 additional 
6 lineal feet, or fraction thereof, the fee is $10.
These 
7 fees shall apply to all gill nets in use in the water 
8 or on drying
reels on the shore.


9   (4) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction thereof, 
10 of gill net
or trammel net the fee is $18.


11  (c) Residents of the State of Illinois may obtain a 
12 sportsmen's
combination license that shall entitle the 
13 holder to the same
non-commercial fishing privileges as 
14 residents holding a license as
described in subsection (a) 
15 of this Section and to the same hunting
privileges as 
16 residents holding a license to hunt all species as

17 described in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No 
18 sportsmen's combination
license shall be issued to any 
19 individual who would be ineligible for
either the fishing 
20 or hunting license separately. The sportsmen's
combination 
21 license fee shall be $25.50.
For residents age 65 or older, 
22 the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a
sportsmen's 
23 combination license. For resident veterans of the United 
24 States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or 
25 mobilization by the President of the United States, the 
26 fee, commencing with the 2012 license year, is one-half of 
 
 
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1 the fee charged for a
sportsmen's combination license. 
2 Veterans must provide to the Department, at one of the 
3 Department's 5 regional offices, verification of their 
4 service. The Department shall establish what constitutes 
5 suitable verification of service for the purpose of issuing 
6 sportsmen's
combination licenses to resident veterans at a 
7 reduced fee.


8  (d) For 24 hours of fishing
by sport fishing devices
as 
9 defined in Section 10-95 or by spearing devices as defined 
10 in Section
10-110 the fee is $5. This license does not 
11 exempt the licensee from the
requirement for a salmon or 
12 inland trout stamp. The licenses provided for
by this 
13 subsection
are not required for residents of the State of 
14 Illinois who have obtained the
license provided for in 
15 subsection (a) of this Section.


16  (e) All residents before using any commercial mussel 
17 device shall
obtain a commercial mussel license, the fee 
18 for which shall be $50.


19  (f) Residents of this State, upon establishing 
20 residency as required
by the Department, may obtain a 
21 lifetime hunting or fishing license or
lifetime 
22 sportsmen's combination license which shall entitle the 
23 holder to
the same non-commercial fishing privileges as 
24 residents holding a license
as described in paragraph (a) 
25 of this Section and to the same hunting
privileges as 
26 residents holding a license to hunt all species as 
 
 
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1 described
in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No lifetime 
2 sportsmen's combination
license shall be issued to or 
3 retained by any individual
who would be ineligible for 
4 either the fishing or hunting license
separately, either 
5 upon issuance, or in any year a violation would
subject an 
6 individual to have either or both fishing or hunting 
7 privileges
rescinded. The lifetime hunting and fishing 
8 license fees shall be as follows:


9   (1) Lifetime fishing: 30 x the current fishing 
10 license fee.


11   (2) Lifetime hunting: 30 x the current hunting 
12 license fee.


13   (3) Lifetime sportsmen's combination license: 30 x 
14 the current
sportsmen's combination license fee.

15 Lifetime licenses shall not be refundable. A $10 fee shall 
16be charged
for reissuing any lifetime license. The Department 
17may establish rules and
regulations for the issuance and use of 
18lifetime licenses and may suspend
or revoke any lifetime 
19license issued under this Section for violations of
those rules 
20or regulations or other provisions under this Code or the

21Wildlife Code. Individuals under 16 years of age who possess a 
22lifetime
hunting or sportsmen's combination license shall have 
23in their possession,
while in the field, a certificate of 
24competency as required under Section
3.2 of the Wildlife Code. 
25Any lifetime license issued under this Section
shall not exempt 
26individuals from obtaining additional stamps or permits

 
 
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1required under the provisions of this Code or the Wildlife 
2Code.
Individuals required to purchase additional stamps shall 
3sign the stamps
and have them in their possession while fishing 
4or hunting with a lifetime
license. All fees received from the 
5issuance
of lifetime licenses shall be deposited in the Fish 
6and Wildlife Endowment
Fund.

7 Except for licenses issued to a permanently disabled 
8veteran under subsection (a) of this Section and licenses 
9issued under subsection (e) of this Section, all
licenses 
10provided for in this Section shall expire on March 31 of
each 
11year, except that the license provided for in subsection (d) of

12this Section shall expire 24 hours after the effective date and 
13time listed
on the face of the license.

14 All individuals required to have and failing to have the 
15license provided
for in subsection (a) or (d) of this Section 
16shall be fined according to the
provisions of Section 20-35 of 
17this Code.

18 All individuals required to have and failing to have the 
19licenses
provided for in subsections (b) and (e) of this 
20Section shall be guilty of a
Class B misdemeanor.

21(Source: P.A. 96-831, eff. 1-1-10; 97-498, eff. 4-1-12; 
2297-1136, eff. 1-1-13.)


23 Section 15. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing 
24Section 3.2 as follows:



 
 
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1 (520 ILCS 5/3.2) (from Ch. 61, par. 3.2)



2 Sec. 3.2. Hunting license; application; instruction. 
3Before the
Department or any county, city, village, township, 
4incorporated town clerk
or his duly designated agent or any 
5other person authorized or designated
by the Department to 
6issue hunting licenses shall issue a hunting license
to any 
7person, the person shall file his application with the 
8Department or
other party authorized to issue licenses on a 
9form provided by the
Department and further give definite proof 
10of identity and place of legal
residence. Each clerk 
11designating agents to issue licenses and stamps
shall furnish 
12the Department, within 10 days following the appointment, the

13names and mailing addresses of the agents. Each clerk or his 
14duly
designated agent shall be authorized to sell licenses and 
15stamps only
within the territorial area for which he was 
16elected or appointed. No duly
designated agent is authorized to 
17furnish licenses or stamps for
issuance by any other business 
18establishment. Each
application shall be executed and sworn to 
19and shall set forth the name
and description of the applicant 
20and place of residence.

21 No hunting license shall be issued to any person born on or 
22after January
1,
1980
unless he presents the person authorized 
23to issue the license
evidence that he has held a hunting 
24license issued by the State of Illinois
or another state in a 
25prior year, or a certificate of competency as
provided in this 
26Section. Persons under 16 years of age may be issued a
Lifetime 
 
 
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1Hunting or Sportsmen's Combination License as provided under 
2Section
20-45 of the Fish and Aquatic Life Code but shall not 
3be entitled to hunt
unless they have a certificate of 
4competency as provided in this Section and
they shall have the 
5certificate in their possession while hunting.

6 The Department of Natural Resources shall authorize

7personnel of the
Department or certified volunteer instructors 
8to conduct courses, of not
less than 10 hours in length, in 
9firearms and hunter safety, which may include
training in bow 
10and arrow safety, at regularly specified intervals throughout

11the State. Persons successfully completing the course shall 
12receive a
certificate of competency. The Department of Natural 
13Resources may further
cooperate with any reputable association 
14or organization in establishing
courses if the organization has 
15as one of its objectives the promotion of
safety in the 
16handling of firearms or bow and arrow.

17 The Department of Natural Resources shall designate any

18person found by it
to be competent to give instruction in the 
19handling of firearms, hunter
safety, and bow and arrow. The 
20persons so appointed shall give the
course of instruction and 
21upon the successful completion shall
issue to the person 
22instructed a certificate of competency in the safe
handling of 
23firearms, hunter safety, and bow and arrow. No charge shall
be 
24made for any course of instruction except for materials or 
25ammunition
consumed. The Department of Natural Resources shall

26furnish information on
the requirements of hunter safety 
 
 
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1education programs to be distributed
free of charge to 
2applicants for hunting licenses by the persons
appointed and 
3authorized to issue licenses. Funds for the conducting of

4firearms and hunter safety courses shall be taken from the fee 
5charged
for the Firearm Owners Identification Card.

6 The fee for a hunting license to hunt all species for a 
7resident of
Illinois is $12. For residents age 65 or older, 
8and, commencing with the 2012 license year, resident veterans 
9of the United States Armed Forces after returning from service 
10abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States, 
11the fee is one-half of the
fee charged for a hunting license to 
12hunt all species for a resident of
Illinois. Veterans must 
13provide to the Department, at one of the Department's 5 
14regional offices, verification of their service. The 
15Department shall establish what constitutes suitable 
16verification of service for the purpose of issuing resident 
17veterans hunting
licenses at a reduced fee. Beginning with the 
182014 license year, a veteran who holds proof of a 
19service-connected disability from the federal Department of 
20Veterans Affairs, and whose degree of disability has been 
21declared to be 50% or more, shall be eligible for a free 
22hunting license. Renewal of that license must be accompanied 
23with documentation for eligibility of license without a fee, 
24unless the applicant has a permanent qualifying disability, in 
25which case, the disabled veteran is not required to renew the 
26license. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs may 
 
 
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1assist in providing the documentation of disability. 
2Nonresidents shall be charged $57 for a hunting license.

3 Nonresidents may be issued a nonresident hunting license 
4for a
period not to exceed 10 consecutive days' hunting in the 
5State and shall
be charged a fee of $35.

6 A special nonresident hunting license authorizing a 
7nonresident to
take game birds by hunting on a game breeding 
8and hunting preserve
area only, established under Section 3.27, 
9shall be issued upon proper
application being made and payment 
10of a fee equal to that for a resident
hunting license. The 
11expiration date of this license shall be on the same
date each 
12year that game breeding and hunting preserve
area licenses 
13expire.

14 Each applicant for a State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp, 
15regardless of
his residence or other condition, shall pay a fee 
16of $15 and
shall receive a stamp. Except as provided under

17Section 20-45 of the Fish and Aquatic Life Code,
the stamp 
18shall be signed by the person or affixed to his license
or 
19permit in a space designated by the Department for that 
20purpose.

21 Each applicant for a State Habitat Stamp, regardless of his 
22residence
or other condition, shall pay a fee of $5 and shall 
23receive a
stamp. Except as provided under Section 20-45 of the 
24Fish and Aquatic Life
Code, the stamp shall be signed by the 
25person or affixed to his license or
permit in a space 
26designated by the Department for that purpose.

 
 
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1 Nothing in this Section shall be construed as to require 
2the purchase
of more than one State Habitat Stamp by any person 
3in any one license year.

4 The Department shall furnish the holders of hunting 
5licenses and stamps
with an insignia as evidence of possession 
6of license, or license and
stamp, as the Department may 
7consider advisable. The insignia shall be
exhibited and used as 
8the Department may order.

9 Except for licenses issued to permanently disabled 
10veterans under this Section, all All other hunting licenses and 
11all State stamps shall expire upon
March 31 of each year.

12 Every person holding any license, permit, or stamp issued 
13under the
provisions of this Act shall have it in his 
14possession for immediate
presentation for inspection to the 
15officers and authorized employees of
the Department, any 
16sheriff, deputy sheriff, or any other peace officer making
a 
17demand for it. This provision shall not apply to Department 
18owned or
managed sites where it is required that all hunters 
19deposit their license,
permit, or Firearm Owner's 
20Identification Card at the check station upon
entering the 
21hunting areas.

22(Source: P.A. 96-831, eff. 1-1-10; 97-498, eff. 4-1-12.)



23 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
24becoming law.