HB 129: "An Act relating to fees charged to physically disabled state residents for hunting and fishing licenses and certain state park permits."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 129 01 "An Act relating to fees charged to physically disabled state residents for hunting and 02 fishing licenses and certain state park permits." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 16.05.340(a)(17) is amended to read: 05 (17) Waterfowl conservation tag ................... 10 06 (A) A person may not engage in waterfowl hunting without 07 having the current year's waterfowl tag in the person's actual possession, unless 08 that person 09 (i) qualifies for a $5 license fee under (6) of this 10 subsection; 11 (ii) is a resident under 18 years of age; 12 (iii) is 60 years of age or older and is a resident; 13 (iv) is [A DISABLED VETERAN] eligible for a free 14 license under AS 16.05.341.
01 (B) The Board of Game shall by regulation exempt the 02 requirement of a waterfowl conservation tag for waterfowl hunting in areas of 03 the state not likely to benefit from programs described in AS 16.05.130(b)(2) - 04 (4). 05 * Sec. 2. AS 16.05.340(a)(23) is amended to read: 06 (23) Resident anadromous king salmon tag ............ 10 07 A resident may not engage in sport fishing for anadromous king salmon without 08 having the current year's anadromous king salmon tag in the resident's actual 09 possession, unless that person 10 (A) qualifies for a 50 cent license fee under (1) of this 11 subsection; 12 (B) is under 18 years of age; 13 (C) is 60 years of age or older and has been a resident of the 14 state for at least one year; 15 (D) is [A DISABLED VETERAN] eligible for a free license 16 under AS 16.05.341; or 17 (E) qualifies for a $5 license fee under (6) of this subsection. 18 * Sec. 3. AS 16.05.341 is amended to read: 19 Sec. 16.05.341. Free license for certain disabled residents and disabled 20 veterans and for active members of the Alaska National Guard and military 21 reserves. A person may receive a resident hunting and sport fishing license under 22 AS 16.05.340(a)(5) without charge if the person 23 (1) is a person with physical disabilities; 24 (2) has been discharged from military service under honorable 25 conditions, is eligible for a loan under AS 18.56.101, and is certified by the United 26 States Department of Veterans Affairs as having incurred a 50 percent or greater 27 disability during military service; 28 (3) [(2)] served in the Alaska Territorial Guard, is eligible for a loan 29 under AS 18.56.101, and incurred a 50 percent or greater disability while serving in 30 the Alaska Territorial Guard; or 31 (4) [(3)] is an active member of the
01 (A) Alaska National Guard; 02 (B) United States Army reserves; 03 (C) United States Air Force reserves; 04 (D) United States Navy reserves; 05 (E) United States Marine Corps reserves; or 06 (F) United States Coast Guard reserves. 07 * Sec. 4. AS 16.05.403(a) is amended to read: 08 (a) A resident hunting license, a resident sport fishing license, a resident 09 subsistence fishing permit, or a resident personal use fishing permit indicating that the 10 purchaser is blind may be obtained from the department upon payment of the fee, if 11 any, required under [PRESCRIBED IN] AS 16.05.330 - 16.05.430 and upon 12 presentation of either an affidavit of the applicant stating that the applicant cannot 13 distinguish light from darkness or an affidavit signed by a licensed physician or a 14 licensed optometrist stating that the applicant's central visual acuity does not exceed 15 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses or that the applicant's widest diameter 16 of visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees. 17 * Sec. 5. AS 16.05.403(b) is amended to read: 18 (b) A resident who is a person with physical disabilities may obtain from the 19 department upon payment of the fee, if any, required under [PRESCRIBED IN] 20 AS 16.05.330 - 16.05.430 and upon submission of satisfactory proof of physical 21 disabilities a resident hunting license, a resident sport fishing license, a resident 22 subsistence fishing permit, or a resident personal use fishing permit indicating that the 23 purchaser is a person with physical disabilities. 24 * Sec. 6. AS 16.05.797(c) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 25 (3) "person with physical disabilities" means a person who presents to 26 the department either written proof that the person receives at least 70 percent 27 disability compensation from a government agency for a physical disability or an 28 affidavit signed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the state stating that 29 the person is at least 70 percent physically disabled. 30 * Sec. 7. AS 16.05.940(26) is amended to read: 31 (26) "person with physical disabilities" means a person who presents to
01 the department either written proof that the person receives at least 50 [70] percent 02 disability compensation from a government agency for a physical disability or an 03 affidavit signed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the state stating that 04 the person is at least 50 [70] percent physically disabled; 05 * Sec. 8. AS 41.21.026(d) is amended to read: 06 (d) Upon request, the [THE] department shall issue [FREE OF CHARGE TO 07 DISABLED VETERANS OF THIS COUNTRY] an annual state park developed 08 campsite permit at no charge to a disabled resident or disabled veteran. The permit 09 shall allow a disabled resident or disabled veteran to use a state park developed 10 campsite for personal recreation use without a charge or fee under (a)(2) of this 11 section. While utilizing a developed campsite [WITHOUT CHARGE] under this 12 subsection, a [THE] disabled resident or disabled veteran shall comply with all other 13 statutes or regulations pertaining to the use of the developed campsite. The department 14 shall provide a form for use by a disabled resident or disabled veteran when applying 15 for a permit under this section. Not later than February 1 of each year, the department 16 shall prepare a report on the number of permits issued [TO DISABLED VETERANS] 17 under this subsection during the previous calendar year and notify the legislature that 18 the report is available. 19 * Sec. 9. AS 41.21.026(e) is amended to read: 20 (e) In this section, 21 (1) "developed campsite" means a campsite having access to the 22 following public facilities: 23 (A) [(1)] restrooms; 24 (B) [(2)] a picnic table; 25 (C) [(3)] an outdoor cooking facility; and 26 (D) [(4)] an approved water source; 27 (2) "disabled resident" means a state resident who presents to the 28 department either written proof that the person receives at least 50 percent 29 disability compensation from a government agency for a physical disability or an 30 affidavit signed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the state stating 31 that the person is at least 50 percent physically disabled.