ELIMINATE MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT FOR HUNTING
House Bill 4225
Sponsor: Rep. Sue Tabor
Committee: Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
Complete to 2-21-03
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4225 AS INTRODUCED 2-13-03
The bill would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Public Act 451 of 1994) to eliminate age requirements and other restrictions relating to a person's age for several hunting licenses, including firearm, small game, combination, fur harvester's, and bow and arrow deer. Throughout the bill, specific age references, most notably references to a person "who is 12 years of age through 16 years of age", would be changed to "a minor child". In addition, the bill would eliminate a prohibition against the issuance of a license to hunt deer, bear, or elk with a firearm to a person who is less than 14 years of age, and against the issuance of a license to hunt to a person who is less than 12 years of age.
Furthermore, the bill would make technical amendments to several provisions in the act pertaining to the cost of several hunting licenses. Public Act 585 of 1996 increased the price of several hunting licenses in 1997, 1999, and 2001. Public Act 585 of 1996 also included a provision (MCL 324.43522a) that permitted the director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to defer the fee increases scheduled for 1999 and 2001. (The hunting license fee increases set for 2001 were, in fact, deferred.) The bill would delete language pertaining to licensee fees set specifically in 1999 and 2001, as that language is outdated. In addition, the bill would add that the current license fees - essentially, the amount set in 2001 - would be "subject to section 43522a" (meaning, that the current hunting license fees are those amounts set in 2001, unless the increases scheduled for that year were deferred).
MCL 324.43520 et al.
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.