2016 -- H 7895

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LC004976

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE - LICENSES

     Introduced By: Representatives Keable, Chippendale, Jacquard, Azzinaro, and Kennedy

     Date Introduced: March 09, 2016

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     (DEM)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 20-2-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 20-2 entitled "Licensing" is

hereby amended to read as follows:

     20-2-4. Clerk's fee. – Authorized agents fee. -- (a) Out of the fees paid under the

provisions of this chapter for issuance of hunting, other than deer permits pursuant to § 20-2-18,

fishing, combination, and non-resident shellfishing licenses, the sum of one dollar ($1.00) shall

be retained by the clerk or authorized agent issuing each license, if this is the case. Out of the fees

paid for issuance of deer permits, the sum of fifty cents ($.50) shall be retained by the clerk or

authorized agent. Authorized agents are any persons, including a municipality, who have

currently been granted authority by the director to sell hunting and fishing licenses pursuant to

chapter 2 of title 20, in compliance with the governing regulations that have been duly

promulgated by the director.

     (b) The director is authorized and directed to engage the contractual services of a state-

approved vendor to develop and implement a web-based system that will serve as a means for

obtaining licenses pursuant to this chapter. The vendor's responsibilities shall include, but not be

limited to:

     (1) Development of the web-based application;

     (2) Creation and servicing of authorized licensing agents who will be able to vend

licenses at their establishments;

     (3) Collection and transmittal of license fee revenues; and

     (4) Storage and transmittal of the license holder database.

     SECTION 2. Section 20-13-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 20-13 entitled "Hunting

and Hunting Safety" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     20-13-5. Issuance of licenses. -- (a) The clerk of every town or city, or a special agent

Authorized licensing agents, shall, upon the application of any eligible person and the payment of

the license fee, issue to that person a license to pursue, hunt, and kill game in the state during the

open season with firearms or by bow and arrow with an archer's permit; provided, however, that

no license shall be granted to or possessed by:

      (1) Any person under fifteen (15) years of age; provided, however, a junior hunting

license may be obtained for persons age twelve (12) to fourteen (14) years of age upon the

completion of a basic hunter's safety course; and further provided, that they shall hunt only in the

immediate company of a qualified licensed adult twenty-one (21) years of age or over;

      (2) Any person who has been convicted of a crime of violence or who is a fugitive from

justice, as defined in § 11-47-2 of the Firearms Act; or

      (3) Any person who is under guardianship, treatment or confinement by virtue of being a

mental incompetent, or who has been adjudicated or is under treatment or confinement as a drug

addict, or who has been adjudicated or is under treatment or confinement as a habitual drunkard.

      (b) Any person affected by the provisions of subsection (a)(3), other than a person who

has been pronounced criminally insane by a competent medical authority, after a lapse of a period

of five (5) years from the date of being pronounced cured by a competent medical authority, may

obtain a license upon the presentation of an affidavit issued by a competent medical authority to

the effect that that person is a mentally stable person and a proper person to possess a hunting

license. If that person has no other disqualifying record, he or she will be allowed to purchase and

possess a hunting license.

      (c) Every hunting license shall be printed or stamped upon some durable material and

shall bear the name, age, occupation, place of residence, and an identifying description of the

licensee, and shall expire on the last day of February next succeeding the date of issue, and may

be revoked within the discretion of the director of environmental management. Every hunting

license shall plainly and conspicuously indicate upon its face the year of issuance and shall be in

the form prescribed by the director.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE - LICENSES

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     This act would facilitate the issuance of hunting licenses by Internet application.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004976

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