2022 -- H 7868

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LC004962

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE -- LICENSING

     Introduced By: Representatives P Morgan, Hull, C Lima, Phillips, Kennedy, Azzinaro,
Corvese, McLaughlin, J Lombardi, and Biah

     Date Introduced: March 04, 2022

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 20-2-2 and 20-2-31 of the General Laws in Chapter 20-2 entitled

"Licensing" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     20-2-2. Issuance of licenses.

     (a) Any person or corporation appointed by the director as provided in § 20-2-1 shall, upon

the application of any person entitled to receive a license under this chapter and upon payment of

the specified license fee, register and issue to that person a license, either printed or displayed

electronically on a mobile device, so long as the certificate provides all of the information requested

in the data fields identified by the department. The certificate shall bear the name, age, occupation,

place of residence, signature, and identifying description of the registrant and shall authorize the

registrant to fish or shellfish, or to pursue, hunt, and kill game in the state of Rhode Island during

those seasons and in those manners and according to those conditions, as shall be provided by law;

provided, however, that these authorized agents shall not have authority to issue lobster,

commercial shellfish, or commercial fishing licenses of any kind.

     (b) Any person who can demonstrate with a valid government issued photo ID that they

are sixty-five (65) or older does not have to pay the license fee or complete an application as

required by subsection (a) of this section.

     20-2-31. Hunting and fishing licenses -- Exceptions.

     (a) Every valid license to hunt or fish in this state that is held by any resident of this state

upon joining the armed forces or the merchant marine of the United States is hereby extended and

is in force and valid until six (6) months following the termination of his or her service.

     (b) Every member of the armed forces or of the merchant marine of the United States may

hunt or fish in this state if that person procures a hunting or fishing license issued by the state of

Rhode Island, the fee for which is that charged for a resident civilian.

     (c) Every man or woman who was a part of the armed forces of the United States

government and is now a one hundred percent (100%) disabled veteran, and any man or woman

who is one hundred percent (100%) permanently disabled, is entitled, subject to the provisions of

this title, to receive a license to hunt or fish or both in this state; and upon the presentation of his or

her necessary military discharge identification or disability papers or both, as prescribed by the

department of environmental management, shall, at the discretion of the licensing authority,

receive, without the payment of any license fee, a continuing special form of license authorizing

the man or woman to hunt or fish or both in this state in accordance with the provisions of this title

and regulations issued pursuant to this title for so long as he or she so desires; provided, however,

that the man or woman, having once made application for this license, shall not again be required

to appear before the licensing authority to present his or her papers.

     (d) A freshwater fishing license is not required of any blind person. For the purposes of

this section, a person is blind only if his or her central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the

better eye with correcting lenses or if his or her visual acuity is greater than 20/200 but is

accompanied by a limitation in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field

subtends an angle no greater than twenty degrees (20°).

     (e) Every resident man or woman over the age of sixty-five (65) years is entitled, subject

to the provisions of this title and the regulations issued pursuant to this title § 20-2-2(b), to receive

a special permanent license to hunt or fish or both in this state for which there is no fee.

     (f) Any man or woman who is one hundred percent (100%) permanently disabled may

apply to receive a license to fish in this state, and upon presentation of a proof of his or her disability

as prescribed by the department of environmental management, receive, without the payment of

any license fee, a continuing special form of license authorizing the man or woman to fish in this

state for so long as he or she so desires; provided, however, that the man or woman, having once

made application for this license, shall not again be required to appear before the licensing authority

to present his or her papers.

     (g) The director may, by regulation, designate no more than two (2) days in each year,

which may or may not be consecutive, during which residents and nonresidents may, without

having a license and without payment of any fee, exercise the privileges of a holder of a freshwater

fishing license. These persons are subject to all other limitations, restrictions, conditions, laws,

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rules, and regulations applicable to the holder of a freshwater fishing license.

     (h) For the purpose of this section, "man or woman who is one hundred percent (100%)

permanently disabled" means an individual who has a physical or mental impairment and is

receiving:

     (1) Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI);

     (2) Supplemental Security Income benefits (SSI).

     All licenses that are issued to persons who qualify pursuant to this subsection shall be

issued without the requirement of the payment of a fee and shall expire annually on February 28 of

each year. Persons seeking the issuance or reissuance of licenses shall be required to present

documentation establishing that the applicant is qualified, or remains qualified, pursuant to this

subsection.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC004962

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO FISH AND WILDLIFE -- LICENSING

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     This act would exempt anyone age sixty-five (65) or older from the fishing license fee and

application.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004962

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