RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 229 (HB 718) 2022 Regular Session Charles Owen
Existing law establishes recreational hunting and fishing licenses and provides the
requirements, definitions, and rates for each type of license.
Existing law specifies that recreational hunting and fishing licenses are offered at a lower rate
for residents than the rates for nonresidents. Existing law provides that specific categories
of nonresidents may be eligible to purchase hunting and fishing licenses at the resident rates.
Prior law allowed nonresident Purple Heart recipients to purchase an annual hunting and
fishing license at the resident rate. Under prior law, this provision would have terminated
on June 1, 2022. New law recreates and continues the exception for nonresident Purple
Heart recipients without any lapse and in perpetuity.
New law further provides that nonresident former service members who either enlisted in the
service or were discharged from service while residing in La. may also apply for annual
hunting and fishing licenses at the resident rate. Under new law, an applicant is required to
provide the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries (dept.) with proof of their identification and
eligibility for the exception. New law specifies that, in addition to other proof the
department may find satisfactory, government-issued separation and discharge documents,
such as a DD-214 or NGB-22, shall be accepted by the dept. as satisfactory proof of the
appropriate military service.
Prior law provided an annual combination hunting and fishing license for retired military
personnel who are residents or native-born for the cost of $5. This $5 rate terminated on
June 1, 2022, and was replaced in existing law with a "Senior/Retired Military" annual
hunting and fishing combination license. Under existing law rate provisions, the cost of this
license is $20 for retired military personnel who are residents or native-born.
Prior law would have changed the requirements of the Senior/Retired Military combination
license to provide that the rate for retired military residents and native-born would be
calculated at half the cost of an annual resident license, effective June 1, 2022, which would
have conflicted with the $20 rate established within the rate provisions under existing law.
New law retains the existing law rate of $20 by removing the license requirement that the
retired military resident or native-born rate be calculated at half the cost of an annual resident
license and providing for a cost of $20 instead, making the license requirements consistent
with the existing law rate provision of $20.
New law provides that new law supercedes any conflicting provisions of prior law contained
in Act No. 356 of the 2021 Regular Session.
Effective June 1, 2022.
(Amends R.S. 56:3000(G), 3001, 3002, and 3004(Section heading), (A)(intro. para.), (2) and
(3), and (B)(intro. para.); Adds R.S. 56:3000(F)(4) and (5))