EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0715*
HOUSE BILL 715
M2 4lr1496
CF SB 533
By: Delegates Griffith, Adams, Allen, Anderton, Arikan, Baker, Bouchat , Buckel,
Chisholm, Ciliberti, Fair, Ghrist, Grammer, Hartman, Hinebaugh,
Hornberger, Howard, Hutchinson, Jacobs, D. Jones, Kipke, R. Long,
Mangione, McComas, Miller, T. Morgan, Munoz, Nawrocki, Pippy, Reilly,
Rogers, Rose, Schmidt, Stonko, Tomlinson, and Valentine Valentine, and
Guyton
Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2024
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Fishing and Hunting Licenses and Trout Stamps – Complimentary Licenses and 2
Stamp Exemption – Veterans Determined to Be Unemployable 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to issue certain 4
complimentary fishing and hunting licenses to certain veterans who the U.S. 5
Department of Veterans Affairs determines are unemployable; exempting certain 6
veterans who the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs determines are unemployable 7
from the requirement to obtain a trout stamp; and generally relating to fishing and 8
hunting licenses and trout stamps. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Natural Resources 11
Section 4–607, 4–614(a), 4–745(e), and 10–303(a) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Natural Resources 16
Section 4–745(a)(1) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18 2 HOUSE BILL 715
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
Article – Natural Resources 4
4–607. 5
(a) (1) The Department may issue annually a complimentary angler’s license 6
to the President of the United States, the governor of any state, and any official of the game 7
and fish department of any other state. 8
(2) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary angler’s license to 9
any Maryland resident who certifies that the resident is [a]: 10
(I) A former prisoner of war; 11
(II) AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 12
VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or 13
(III) A 100% service connected disabled American veteran. 14
(3) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary angler’s license to 15
an out–of–state person [who]: 16
(I) WHO certifies that the person is [a]: 17
1. A former prisoner of war; 18
2. AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 19
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or [a] 20
3. A 100% service connected disabled American veteran [if 21
the person’s]; AND 22
(II) WHOSE state of residence extends similar privileges to [former 23
prisoners of war or 100% service connected disabled American veterans of this State] THE 24
INDIVIDUALS SPECIFIE D IN ITEM (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 25
SUBSECTION . 26
(b) Not more than 20 complimentary angler’s licenses for each state other than 27
Maryland shall be outstanding at any time. 28
(c) A complimentary angler’s license is not transferable and shall be issued 29
without a fee. 30 HOUSE BILL 715 3
(d) For the purposes of this section, “former prisoner of war” means a person who, 1
while serving in the active military, naval, or air service of the United States, was forcibly 2
detained or interned in the line of duty by an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile 3
force, during a period of armed conflict. 4
4–614. 5
(a) (1) The Department shall adopt regulations to establish fishing areas 6
where a trout stamp is required. 7
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, a person may 8
not fish or possess trout in an area established in paragraph (1) of this subsection unless 9
the person first obtains a trout stamp in addition to an angler’s license. 10
(3) A trout stamp is not required of the following: 11
(i) A holder of a current resident consolidated senior sport fishing 12
license issued under § 4–216 of this title; 13
(ii) A holder of a lifetime complimentary angler’s license [for 100% 14
service connected disabled American veterans or former prisoners of war] issued under § 15
4–607(a)(2) or (3) of this subtitle; 16
(iii) A person authorized by a disability exemption issued under § 17
4–217 of this title; 18
(iv) Any resident serving in the armed forces of the United States 19
while on leave in the State, during the resident’s leave period, if, while angling, the resident 20
possesses a copy of the resident’s official leave order; or 21
(v) A person under 16 years of age. 22
(4) The stamp may be obtained from the Department or an authorized 23
agent of the Department. 24
4–745. 25
(a) (1) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section and § 4–217 26
of this title, a person may not fish for finfish in the Chesapeake Bay or in its tributaries up 27
to tidal boundaries or in State waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic coastal bays 28
and their tributaries without first obtaining a Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing 29
license or registration issued under subsection (d)(3) of this section and possessing the 30
license or registration. 31
(e) (1) In this subsection, “former prisoner of war” means a person who, while 32
serving in the active military, naval, or air service of the United States, was forcibly 33 4 HOUSE BILL 715
detained or interned in the line of duty by an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile 1
force, during a period of armed conflict. 2
(2) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary Chesapeake Bay 3
and coastal sport fishing license to any Maryland resident who certifies that the resident 4
is [a]: 5
(I) A former prisoner of war; 6
(II) AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 7
VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or [a] 8
(III) A 100% service connected disabled American veteran. 9
(3) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary Chesapeake Bay 10
and coastal sport fishing license to an out–of–state person [who]: 11
(I) WHO certifies that the person is [a]: 12
1. A former prisoner of war; 13
2. AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 14
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or [a] 15
3. A 100% service connected disabled American veteran [if 16
the person’s]; AND 17
(II) WHOSE state of residence extends similar privileges to [former 18
prisoners of war or 100% service connected disabled American veterans of this State] THE 19
INDIVIDUALS SPECIFIE D IN ITEM (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 20
SUBSECTION . 21
(4) A complimentary Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license is 22
not transferable. 23
(5) The Department may issue annually a complimentary Chesapeake Bay 24
and coastal sport fishing license to the President of the United States, the governor of any 25
state, and any official of the game and fish department of any other state. 26
(6) Not more than 20 complimentary Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport 27
fishing licenses for each state other than Maryland shall be outstanding at any time. 28
10–303. 29
(a) (1) The Department annually may issue a complimentary hunting license 30
to the President of the United States, the governor of any state, or an official or an 31 HOUSE BILL 715 5
enforcement officer of the game and fish management agency of another state which 1
reciprocally offers complimentary hunting licenses. 2
(2) (i) Subject to the requirements of § 10–301.1 of this subtitle, the 3
Department may issue a lifetime complimentary hunting license to a Maryland resident 4
who certifies that the resident is [a]: 5
1. A former prisoner of war; 6
2. AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 7
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or 8
3. A 100% service connected disabled American veteran. 9
(ii) Subject to the requirements of § 10–301.1 of this subtitle, the 10
Department may issue a lifetime complimentary hunting license to an out–of–state person 11
[who]: 12
1. WHO certifies that the person is [a]: 13
A. A former prisoner of war; 14
B. AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 15
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or [a] 16
C. A 100% service connected disabled American veteran [if 17
the person’s]; AND 18
2. WHOSE state of residence extends similar privileges to 19
[former prisoners of war or 100% service connected disabled American veterans of this 20
State] THE INDIVIDUALS SPEC IFIED IN ITEM 1 OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH 21
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH . 22
(3) A complimentary license is not transferable. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2024. 25