103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2701

 

Introduced 1/10/2024, by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
515 ILCS 5/20-45  from Ch. 56, par. 20-45

    Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Allows for sport fishing devices resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are at least 50% disabled with service-related disabilities to obtain a 4-year fishing license. Provides that the fee for a 4-year fishing license for a resident veteran is $29. Requires resident veterans to provide to the Department of Natural Resources verification of their service and service-related disability. Requires the Department to establish what constitutes suitable verification of service and service-related disability for the purpose of issuing 4-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee. Provides that 4-year fishing licenses issued to qualifying resident veterans shall expire on March 31 of the third year after the year in which the license is issued.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning fish.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by
5changing Section 20-45 as follows:
 
6    (515 ILCS 5/20-45)  (from Ch. 56, par. 20-45)
7    Sec. 20-45. License fees for residents. Fees for licenses
8for residents of the State of Illinois shall be as follows:
9        (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for
10    sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
11    spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, the fee is
12    $14.50 for individuals 16 to 64 years old, one-half of the
13    current fishing license fee for individuals age 65 or
14    older, and, commencing with the 2012 license year,
15    one-half of the current fishing license fee for resident
16    veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
17    from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
18    the United States as an active duty member of the United
19    States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the
20    Reserves of the United States Armed Forces. Veterans must
21    provide to the Department acceptable verification of their
22    service. The Department shall establish by administrative
23    rule the procedure by which such verification of service

 

 

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1    shall be made to the Department for the purpose of issuing
2    fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee.
3        (a-3) Except as otherwise provided in this Section,
4    for sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
5    spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, residents
6    of this State may obtain a 3-year fishing license. The fee
7    for a 3-year fishing license is 3 times the annual fee. For
8    residents age 65 or older, the fee is one half of the fee
9    charged for a 3-year fishing license. For resident
10    veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
11    from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
12    the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged
13    for a 3-year fishing license. Veterans must provide to the
14    Department, per administrative rule, verification of their
15    service. The Department shall establish what constitutes
16    suitable verification of service for the purpose of
17    issuing 3-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a
18    reduced fee.
19        (a-4) Except as otherwise provided in this Section,
20    for sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
21    spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, resident
22    veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are at
23    least 50% disabled with service-related disabilities may
24    obtain a 4-year fishing license. For resident veterans who
25    qualify for a 4-year fishing license under this
26    subsection, the fee for a 4-year fishing license is $29.

 

 

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1    Resident veterans must provide to the Department, per
2    administrative rule, verification of their service and
3    service-related disability. The Department shall establish
4    what constitutes suitable verification of service and
5    service-related disability for the purpose of issuing
6    4-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced
7    fee.
8        (a-5) The fee for all sport fishing licenses shall be
9    $1 for an annual license and 3 times the annual fee for a
10    3-year license for residents over 75 years of age.
11        (b) All residents before using any commercial fishing
12    device shall obtain a commercial fishing license, the fee
13    for which shall be $60 and a resident fishing license, the
14    fee for which is $14.50. Each and every commercial device
15    used shall be licensed by a resident commercial fisherman
16    as follows:
17            (1) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction
18        thereof, of seine the fee is $18. For each minnow
19        seine, minnow trap, or net for commercial purposes the
20        fee is $20.
21            (2) For each device to fish with a 100 hook trot
22        line device, basket trap, hoop net, or dip net the fee
23        is $3.
24            (3) When used in the waters of Lake Michigan, for
25        the first 2000 lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of
26        gill net the fee is $10; and for each 1000 additional

 

 

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1        lineal feet, or fraction thereof, the fee is $10.
2        These fees shall apply to all gill nets in use in the
3        water or on drying reels on the shore.
4            (4) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction
5        thereof, of gill net or trammel net the fee is $18.
6        (c) Residents of this State may obtain a sportsmen's
7    combination license that shall entitle the holder to the
8    same non-commercial fishing privileges as residents
9    holding a license as described in subsection (a) of this
10    Section and to the same hunting privileges as residents
11    holding a license to hunt all species as described in
12    Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No sportsmen's
13    combination license shall be issued to any individual who
14    would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting
15    license separately. The sportsmen's combination license
16    fee shall be $25.50. For residents age 65 or older, the fee
17    is one-half of the fee charged for a sportsmen's
18    combination license. For resident veterans of the United
19    States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or
20    mobilization by the President of the United States as an
21    active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the
22    Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United
23    States Armed Forces, the fee, commencing with the 2012
24    license year, is one-half of the fee charged for a
25    sportsmen's combination license. Veterans must provide to
26    the Department acceptable verification of their service.

 

 

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1    The Department shall establish by administrative rule the
2    procedure by which such verification of service shall be
3    made to the Department for the purpose of issuing
4    sportsmen's combination licenses to resident veterans at a
5    reduced fee.
6        (c-5) Residents of this State may obtain a 3-year
7    sportsmen's combination license that shall entitle the
8    holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as
9    residents holding a license as described in subsection
10    (a-3) and to the same hunting privileges as residents
11    holding a license to hunt all species as described in
12    Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. A 3-year sportsmen's
13    combination license shall not be issued to any individual
14    who would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting
15    license separately. The 3-year sportsmen's combination
16    license fee shall be 3 times the annual fee. For residents
17    age 65 or older, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for
18    a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. For resident
19    veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
20    from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
21    the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged
22    for a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. Veterans
23    must provide to the Department, per administrative rule,
24    verification of their service. The Department shall
25    establish what constitutes suitable verification of
26    service for the purpose of issuing 3-year sportsmen's

 

 

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1    combination licenses to resident veterans at a reduced
2    fee.
3        (d) For 24 hours of fishing by sport fishing devices
4    as defined in Section 10-95 or by spearing devices as
5    defined in Section 10-110 the fee is $5. This license does
6    not exempt the licensee from the requirement for a salmon
7    or inland trout stamp. The licenses provided for by this
8    subsection are not required for residents of the State of
9    Illinois who have obtained the license provided for in
10    subsection (a) or (a-3) of this Section.
11        (e) All residents before using any commercial mussel
12    device shall obtain a commercial mussel license, the fee
13    for which shall be $50.
14        (f) Residents of this State, upon establishing
15    residency as required by the Department, may obtain a
16    lifetime hunting or fishing license or lifetime
17    sportsmen's combination license which shall entitle the
18    holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as
19    residents holding a license as described in paragraph (a)
20    of this Section and to the same hunting privileges as
21    residents holding a license to hunt all species as
22    described in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No lifetime
23    sportsmen's combination license shall be issued to or
24    retained by any individual who would be ineligible for
25    either the fishing or hunting license separately, either
26    upon issuance, or in any year a violation would subject an

 

 

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1    individual to have either or both fishing or hunting
2    privileges rescinded. The lifetime hunting and fishing
3    license fees shall be as follows:
4            (1) Lifetime fishing: 30 x the current fishing
5        license fee.
6            (2) Lifetime hunting: 30 x the current hunting
7        license fee.
8            (3) Lifetime sportsmen's combination license: 30 x
9        the current sportsmen's combination license fee.
10    Lifetime licenses shall not be refundable. A $10 fee shall
11be charged for reissuing any lifetime license. The Department
12may establish rules and regulations for the issuance and use
13of lifetime licenses and may suspend or revoke any lifetime
14license issued under this Section for violations of those
15rules or regulations or other provisions under this Code or
16the Wildlife Code, or a violation of the United States Code
17that involves the taking, possessing, killing, harvesting,
18transportation, selling, exporting, or importing any fish or
19aquatic life protected by this Code or the taking, possessing,
20killing, harvesting, transportation, selling, exporting, or
21importing any fauna protected by the Wildlife Code when any
22part of the United States Code violation occurred in Illinois.
23Individuals under 16 years of age who possess a lifetime
24hunting or sportsmen's combination license shall have in their
25possession, while in the field, a certificate of competency as
26required under Section 3.2 of the Wildlife Code. Any lifetime

 

 

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1license issued under this Section shall not exempt individuals
2from obtaining additional stamps or permits required under the
3provisions of this Code or the Wildlife Code. Individuals
4required to purchase additional stamps shall sign the stamps
5and have them in their possession while fishing or hunting
6with a lifetime license. All fees received from the issuance
7of lifetime licenses shall be deposited in the Fish and
8Wildlife Endowment Fund.
9    Except for licenses issued under subsection (e) of this
10Section, all licenses provided for in this Section shall
11expire on March 31 of each year, except that the license
12provided for in subsection (d) of this Section shall expire 24
13hours after the effective date and time listed on the face of
14the license. Licenses issued under subsection (a-3) or (c-5)
15shall expire on March 31 of the 2nd year after the year in
16which the license is issued. Licenses issued under subsection
17(a-4) shall expire on March 31 of the third year after the year
18in which the license is issued.
19    The Department shall by administrative rule provide for
20the automatic renewal of a fishing license upon the request of
21the applicant.
22    All individuals required to have and failing to have the
23license provided for in subsection (a), (a-3), or (d) of this
24Section shall be fined according to the provisions of Section
2520-35 of this Code.
26    All individuals required to have and failing to have the

 

 

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1licenses provided for in subsections (b) and (e) of this
2Section shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
3    (g) For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable
4verification" means official documentation from the Department
5of Defense or the appropriate Major Command showing
6mobilization dates or service abroad dates, including: (i) a
7DD-214, (ii) a letter from the Illinois Department of Military
8Affairs for members of the Illinois National Guard, (iii) a
9letter from the Regional Reserve Command for members of the
10Armed Forces Reserve, (iv) a letter from the Major Command
11covering Illinois for active duty members, (v) personnel
12records for mobilized State employees, and (vi) any other
13documentation that the Department, by administrative rule,
14deems acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or service
15abroad.
16    For the purposes of this Section, the term "service
17abroad" means active duty service outside of the 50 United
18States and the District of Columbia, and includes all active
19duty service in territories and possessions of the United
20States.
21(Source: P.A. 102-780, eff. 5-13-22; 102-837, eff. 5-13-22;
22103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-456, eff. 1-1-24.)