96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB1204

 

Introduced 2/18/2009, by Rep. Jay C. Hoffman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
520 ILCS 5/2.26   from Ch. 61, par. 2.26

    Amends the Wildlife Code. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to issue free deer hunting permits to veterans who, according to the determination of the Veterans' Administration, as certified by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, are at least 30% disabled with service-related disabilities or in receipt of total disability pensions. Effective immediately.


LRB096 10039 JDS 20203 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1204 LRB096 10039 JDS 20203 b

1     AN ACT concerning wildlife.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing Section
5 2.26 as follows:
 
6     (520 ILCS 5/2.26)  (from Ch. 61, par. 2.26)
7     Sec. 2.26. Deer hunting permits. In this Section, "bona
8 fide equity shareholder" means an individual who (1) purchased,
9 for market price, publicly sold stock shares in a corporation,
10 purchased shares of a privately-held corporation for a value
11 equal to the percentage of the appraised value of the corporate
12 assets represented by the ownership in the corporation, or is a
13 member of a closely-held family-owned corporation and has
14 purchased or been gifted with shares of stock in the
15 corporation accurately reflecting his or her percentage of
16 ownership and (2) intends to retain the ownership of the shares
17 of stock for at least 5 years.
18     In this Section, "bona fide equity member" means an
19 individual who (1) (i) became a member upon the formation of
20 the limited liability company or (ii) has purchased a
21 distributional interest in a limited liability company for a
22 value equal to the percentage of the appraised value of the LLC
23 assets represented by the distributional interest in the LLC

 

 

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1 and subsequently becomes a member of the company pursuant to
2 Article 30 of the Limited Liability Company Act and who (2)
3 intends to retain the membership for at least 5 years.
4     In this Section, "bona fide equity partner" means an
5 individual who (1) (i) became a partner, either general or
6 limited, upon the formation of a partnership or limited
7 partnership, or (ii) has purchased, acquired, or been gifted a
8 partnership interest accurately representing his or her
9 percentage distributional interest in the profits, losses, and
10 assets of a partnership or limited partnership, (2) intends to
11 retain ownership of the partnership interest for at least 5
12 years, and (3) is a resident of Illinois.
13     Any person attempting to take deer shall first obtain a
14 "Deer Hunting Permit" in accordance with prescribed
15 regulations set forth in an Administrative Rule. Deer Hunting
16 Permits shall be issued by the Department. The fee for a Deer
17 Hunting Permit to take deer with either bow and arrow or gun
18 shall not exceed $15.00 for residents of the State. The
19 Department may by administrative rule provide for non-resident
20 deer hunting permits for which the fee will not exceed $300 in
21 2005, $350 in 2006, and $400 in 2007 and thereafter except as
22 provided below for non-resident landowners and non-resident
23 archery hunters. The Department may by administrative rule
24 provide for a non-resident archery deer permit consisting of
25 not more than 2 harvest tags at a total cost not to exceed $325
26 in 2005, $375 in 2006, and $425 in 2007 and thereafter. Permits

 

 

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1 shall be issued without charge to:
2         (a) Illinois landowners residing in Illinois who own at
3     least 40 acres of Illinois land and wish to hunt their land
4     only,
5         (b) resident tenants of at least 40 acres of commercial
6     agricultural land where they will hunt, and
7         (c) Bona fide equity shareholders of a corporation,
8     bona fide equity members of a limited liability company, or
9     bona fide equity partners of a general or limited
10     partnership which owns at least 40 acres of land in a
11     county in Illinois who wish to hunt on the corporation's,
12     company's, or partnership's land only. One permit shall be
13     issued without charge to one bona fide equity shareholder,
14     one bona fide equity member, or one bona fide equity
15     partner for each 40 acres of land owned by the corporation,
16     company, or partnership in a county; however, the number of
17     permits issued without charge to bona fide equity
18     shareholders of any corporation or bona fide equity members
19     of a limited liability company in any county shall not
20     exceed 15, and shall not exceed 3 in the case of bona fide
21     equity partners of a partnership.
22         (d) Veterans who, according to the determination of the
23     Veterans' Administration as certified by the Department of
24     Veterans' Affairs, are at least 30% disabled with
25     service-related disabilities or in receipt of total
26     disability pensions.

 

 

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1     Bona fide landowners or tenants who do not wish to hunt
2 only on the land they own, rent, or lease or bona fide equity
3 shareholders, bona fide equity members, or bona fide equity
4 partners who do not wish to hunt only on the land owned by the
5 corporation, limited liability company, or partnership shall
6 be charged the same fee as the applicant who is not a
7 landowner, tenant, bona fide equity shareholder, bona fide
8 equity member, or bona fide equity partner. Nonresidents of
9 Illinois who own at least 40 acres of land and wish to hunt on
10 their land only shall be charged a fee set by administrative
11 rule. The method for obtaining these permits shall be
12 prescribed by administrative rule.
13     The deer hunting permit issued without fee shall be valid
14 on all farm lands which the person to whom it is issued owns,
15 leases or rents, except that: (i) in the case of a permit
16 issued to a bona fide equity shareholder, bona fide equity
17 member, or bona fide equity partner, the permit shall be valid
18 on all lands owned by the corporation, limited liability
19 company, or partnership in the county, and (ii) in the case of
20 a permit issued to a disabled veteran pursuant to paragraph (d)
21 of this Section, the permit shall be valid on any land in this
22 State on which deer hunting is otherwise permitted.
23     The standards and specifications for use of guns and bow
24 and arrow for deer hunting shall be established by
25 administrative rule.
26     No person may have in his possession any firearm not

 

 

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1 authorized by administrative rule for a specific hunting season
2 when taking deer.
3     Persons having a firearm deer hunting permit shall be
4 permitted to take deer only during the period from 1/2 hour
5 before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, and only during those
6 days for which an open season is established for the taking of
7 deer by use of shotgun, handgun, or muzzle loading rifle.
8     Persons having an archery deer hunting permit shall be
9 permitted to take deer only during the period from 1/2 hour
10 before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, and only during those
11 days for which an open season is established for the taking of
12 deer by use of bow and arrow.
13     It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer by use of
14 dogs, horses, automobiles, aircraft or other vehicles, or by
15 the use of salt or bait of any kind. An area is considered as
16 baited during the presence of and for 10 consecutive days
17 following the removal of bait. Nothing in this Section shall
18 prohibit the use of a dog to track wounded deer. Any person
19 using a dog for tracking wounded deer must maintain physical
20 control of the dog at all times by means of a maximum 50 foot
21 lead attached to the dog's collar or harness. Tracking wounded
22 deer is permissible at night, but at no time outside of legal
23 deer hunting hours or seasons shall any person handling or
24 accompanying a dog being used for tracking wounded deer be in
25 possession of any firearm or archery device. Persons tracking
26 wounded deer with a dog during the firearm deer seasons shall

 

 

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1 wear blaze orange as required. Dog handlers tracking wounded
2 deer with a dog are exempt from hunting license and deer permit
3 requirements so long as they are accompanied by the licensed
4 deer hunter who wounded the deer.
5     It shall be unlawful to possess or transport any wild deer
6 which has been injured or killed in any manner upon a public
7 highway or public right-of-way of this State unless exempted by
8 administrative rule.
9     Persons hunting deer must have gun unloaded and no bow and
10 arrow device shall be carried with the arrow in the nocked
11 position during hours when deer hunting is unlawful.
12     It shall be unlawful for any person, having taken the legal
13 limit of deer by gun, to further participate with gun in any
14 deer hunting party.
15     It shall be unlawful for any person, having taken the legal
16 limit of deer by bow and arrow, to further participate with bow
17 and arrow in any deer hunting party.
18     The Department may prohibit upland game hunting during the
19 gun deer season by administrative rule.
20     The Department shall not limit the number of non-resident
21 either sex archery deer hunting permits to less than 20,000.
22     It shall be legal for handicapped persons, as defined in
23 Section 2.33, and persons age 62 or older to utilize a crossbow
24 device, as defined in Department rules, to take deer.
25     Any person who violates any of the provisions of this
26 Section, including administrative rules, shall be guilty of a

 

 

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1 Class B misdemeanor.
2 (Source: P.A. 94-10, eff. 6-7-05; 95-289, eff. 8-20-07; 95-329,
3 eff. 8-21-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)
 
4     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5 becoming law.