An Act To Reduce the Cost of Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Certain Veterans and Members of the Military Service
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0865
Committee Amendment CA_A_H540 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10853

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 654, L.D. 865, Bill, "An Act To 
Reduce the Cost of Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Certain Veterans and Members of 
the Military Service" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Increase the Number of Disabled Veterans That Are Eligible for 
Complimentary Lifetime Licenses and To Create the Search and Rescue 
Fund' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1. 
Amend the bill in section 2 in the first line (page 1, line 7 in L.D.) by striking out the 
following: "§10260" and inserting in its place the following: '§10261' 
Amend the bill in section 2 in § 1 0260 in the first line (page 1, line 8 in L.D.) by 
striking out the following: "§10260." and inserting the following: '§10261.' 
Amend the bill in section 2 in the first paragraph in the 3rd line (page 1, line 11 in 
L.D.) by striking out the following: "section 10202, subsection 16" and inserting in its 
place the following: 'section 10853, subsection 4' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 477, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
4. 
Resident disabled veteran. 
A resident disabled veteran may apply to the 
commissioner for one or more of the following complimentary permits and licenses: a 
license to hunt with a firearm, a license to trap, a license to fish, archery hunting licenses 
as provided in section 11109, subsection 7, a pheasant hunting permit as provided in 
section 11156, a muzzle-loading hunting permit as provided in section 11109, subsection 
4, a migratory waterfowl permit under section 11157, a bear hunting permit under section 
11151 and, upon meeting the qualifications as established in section 12853, subsection 4, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.,. 
,\, .• 
COMMITI'EE AMENDMENT' ~ 
... M.P, 654, LD, 865 
a guide license. The commissioner shall issue the permit or permits or license or licenses 
requested under this subsection if the commissioner determines the applicant is a resident 
disabled veteran and is not otherwise ineligible to hold that permit or license. For the 
purposes of this subsection, "resident disabled veteran" means a person who: 
A. Is a resident as defined in section 10001, subsection 53; 
B. Is a veteran as defined iB Title 37 B, section 505, subsection 2, paragraph A, 
subparagraph (3). For purposes of this subsection, "veteran" means a person who 
served in the military or naval forces of the United States who was not dishonorably 
discharged and entered the service from this State or resided in this State for 5 years 
immediately preceding application under this subsection; and 
C. Has a service-connected disability evaluated at;. 50% or more. 
(1) Gne RUBdred pereeBt; or 
(2) Seventy percent or more as a result of hOBorable military service aHd who 
has served in a combat 'lOBe daring any armed oOBflict iB 'Nhieh participants were 
eXflosed to war risk k~ards as defiBed iB 42 United States Code, Section 1711 
~ 
Each application must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence that the applicant meets 
the requirements of this subsection. A permit or license issued under this subsection 
remains valid for the life of the permit or license holder, as long as the permit or license 
holder continues to satisfy the residency requirement in section 10001, subsection 53 and 
the permit or license is not revoked or suspended. 
An appropriation from the General Fund in addition to any appropriation made pursuant 
to the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 22 must be made annually to the 
department in an amount equal to the revenue lost annually as a result of the department's 
providing complementary licenses and permits under this subsection instead of having 
each license and permit purchased individually at the regular fee. The department must 
deposit any appropriation pursuant to this subsection in the Search and Rescue Fund 
established in section 10261. 
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, DEPARTMENT OF 
Search and Rescue 0538 
Initiative: Provides funds to reimburse the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to 
comply with the requirements of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 10853, 
subsection 4. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2007-08 
$673,663 
$673,663 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2008-09 
$673,663 
$673,663 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT • ~ 
to H.r. 654, L.D. 865 
Search and Rescue 0538 
Initiative: Provides the necessary allocation to the Search and Rescue Fund as required by 
the provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 10853, subsection 4. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL- ALL FUNDS 
SUMMARY 
2007-08 
$673,663 
$673,663 
2007-08 
$673,663 
$673,663 
$1,347,326 
2008-09 
$673,663 
$673,663 
2008-09 
$673,663 
$673,663 
$1,347,326 
This amendment changes the title of the bill and replaces the provision of the bill 
proposing to provide discounted license fees for certain veterans with language that 
increases the number of disabled veterans that are eligible to receive complimentary 
lifetime licenses and permits to hunt, fish, trap and guide by reducing the level of 
disability from 100% for noncombat military and 70% for combat-related disability to 
50% or more disability for all veterans. It also clarifies the definition of "veteran" and 
how the loss of revenues to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for providing 
these complimentary licenses to be reimbursed from the General Fund. It changes the 
allocation of the laws establishing the Search and Rescue Fund in order to avoid creating 
a conflict. It also adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/09/07 ;tvac. 
LD865 
LR 2105(02) 
An Act To Reduce the Cost of Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Certain Veterans and Members of the
Military Service 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A~" 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
Ii 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2007-08 
$862,676 
$673,663 
$673,663 
($189,013) 
2008-09 
$862,676 
$673,663 
$673,663 
($189,013) 
Projections 
2009-10 
$862,676 
$673,663 
$673,663 
($189,013) 
Projectiom
2010-11 
$862,676 
$673,663 
$673,663 
($189,013;
Certain changes in the eligibility requirements for complimentary hunting and fishing licenses that are issued to 
disabled veterans will result in the loss of General Fund revenue collected by the Department of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife. Beginning in fiscal year 2007-08, the estimated annual revenue loss will be $189,013. The bill also require~
the General Fund to annually pay the Search and Rescue Fund an amount equal to the revenue loss from all 
complementary licenses and permits, including the new ones authorized in this bill. The revenue loss from these 
complementary licenses and permits is to the General Fund and not to any dedicated account in the department. The 
bill includes a General Fund appropriation of $673,663 beginning in fiscal year 2007-08 for this cost and requires that 
it be in addition to the appropriations the department receives each year that are constitutionally required to be at least
equal to the revenues collected. Appropriations in the 2008-2009 biennium are already budgeted in excess of the 
budgeted revenues. 
The bill also includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations of the same amount to allow spending from the Searcl
and Rescue Fund. 
LR2105(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1