EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 533
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By: Senator Gallion
Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
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
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
Article – Natural Resources 22
4–607. 23
2 SENATE BILL 533
(a) (1) The Department may issue annually a complimentary angler’s license 1
to the President of the United States, the governor of any state, and any official of the game 2
and fish department of any other state. 3
(2) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary angler’s license to 4
any Maryland resident who certifies that the resident 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 8
(III) A 100% service connected disabled American veteran. 9
(3) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary angler’s license to 10
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 UNEMPLOYA BLE; 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 . 20
(b) Not more than 20 complimentary angler’s licenses for each state other than 21
Maryland shall be outstanding at any time. 22
(c) A complimentary angler’s license is not transferable and shall be issued 23
without a fee. 24
(d) For the purposes of this section, “former prisoner of war” means a person who, 25
while serving in the active military, naval, or air service of the United States, was forcibly 26
detained or interned in the line of duty by an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile 27
force, during a period of armed conflict. 28
4–614. 29
SENATE BILL 533 3
(a) (1) The Department shall adopt regulations to establish fishing areas 1
where a trout stamp is required. 2
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, a person may 3
not fish or possess trout in an area established in paragraph (1) of this subsection unless 4
the person first obtains a trout stamp in addition to an angler’s license. 5
(3) A trout stamp is not required of the following: 6
(i) A holder of a current resident consolidated senior sport fishing 7
license issued under § 4–216 of this title; 8
(ii) A holder of a lifetime complimentary angler’s license [for 100% 9
service connected disabled American veterans or former prisoners of war] issued under § 10
4–607(a)(2) or (3) of this subtitle; 11
(iii) A person authorized by a disability exemption issued under § 12
4–217 of this title; 13
(iv) Any resident serving in the armed forces of the United States 14
while on leave in the State, during the resident’s leave period, if, while angling, the resident 15
possesses a copy of the resident’s official leave order; or 16
(v) A person under 16 years of age. 17
(4) The stamp may be obtained from the Department or an authorized 18
agent of the Department. 19
4–745. 20
(a) (1) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section and § 4–217 21
of this title, a person may not fish for finfish in the Chesapeake Bay or in its tributaries up 22
to tidal boundaries or in State waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic coastal bays 23
and their tributaries without first obtaining a Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing 24
license or registration issued under subsection (d)(3) of this section and possessing the 25
license or registration. 26
(e) (1) In this subsection, “former prisoner of war” means a person who, while 27
serving in the active military, naval, or air service of the United States, was forcibly 28
detained or interned in the line of duty by an enemy government or its agents, or a hostile 29
force, during a period of armed conflict. 30
(2) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary Chesapeake Bay 31
and coastal sport fishing license to any Maryland resident who certifies that the resident 32
is [a]: 33
(I) A former prisoner of war; 34 4 SENATE BILL 533
(II) AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 1
VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or [a] 2
(III) A 100% service connected disabled American veteran. 3
(3) The Department may issue a lifetime complimentary Chesapeake Bay 4
and coastal sport fishing license to an out–of–state person [who]: 5
(I) WHO certifies that the person is [a]: 6
1. A former prisoner of war; 7
2. AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 8
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or [a] 9
3. A 100% service connected disabled American veteran [if 10
the person’s]; AND 11
(II) WHOSE state of residence extends similar privileges to [former 12
prisoners of war or 100% service connected disabled American veterans of this State] THE 13
INDIVIDUALS SPECIFIE D IN ITEM (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH . 14
(4) A complimentary Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing license is 15
not transferable. 16
(5) The Department may issue annually a complimentary Chesapeake Bay 17
and coastal sport fishing license to the President of the United States, the governor of any 18
state, and any official of the game and fish department of any other state. 19
(6) Not more than 20 complimentary Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport 20
fishing licenses for each state other than Maryland shall be outstanding at any time. 21
10–303. 22
(a) (1) The Department annually may issue a complimentary hunting license 23
to the President of the United States, the governor of any state, or an official or an 24
enforcement officer of the game and fish management agency of another state which 25
reciprocally offers complimentary hunting licenses. 26
(2) (i) Subject to the requirements of § 10–301.1 of this subtitle, the 27
Department may issue a lifetime complimentary hunting license to a Maryland resident 28
who certifies that the resident is [a]: 29
1. A former prisoner of war; 30 SENATE BILL 533 5
2. AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 1
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or 2
3. A 100% service connected disabled American veteran. 3
(ii) Subject to the requirements of § 10–301.1 of this subtitle, the 4
Department may issue a lifetime complimentary hunting license to an out–of–state person 5
[who]: 6
1. WHO certifies that the person is [a]: 7
A. A former prisoner of war; 8
B. AN AMERICAN VETERAN WHO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT 9
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DETERMINES IS UNEMPLOYABLE ; or [a] 10
C. A 100% service connected disabled American veteran [if 11
the person’s]; AND 12
2. WHOSE state of residence extends similar privileges to 13
[former prisoners of war or 100% service connected disabled American veterans of this 14
State] THE INDIVIDUALS SPEC IFIED IN ITEM 1 OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH . 15
(3) A complimentary license is not transferable. 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17
1, 2024. 18