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69th Legislature 2025 HB 307.1
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 307
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 307
2 INTRODUCED BY B. BARKER, M. BERTOGLIO, B. MITCHELL
3
4 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING LAWS RELATED TO THE DONATION OF HUNTING
5 LICENSES TO DISABLED VETERANS OR DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES; ALLOWING
6 THE DONATION TO BE DESIGNATED TO CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS; RESTRICTING ELIGIBILITY FOR A
7 DONATED LICENSE; AND AMENDING SECTION 87-2-815, MCA.”
8
9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
10
11 Section 87-2-815, MCA, is amended to read:
12 "87-2-815.
13 (1) The holder of any hunting license issued by the department may surrender that license and
14 any related permit to the department for reissuance to a disabled veteran or a disabled member of the armed
15 forces for use on an expedition arranged by a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under 26
16 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) and that uses hunting as part of the rehabilitation of disabled veterans and disabled members
17 of the armed forces. The person surrendering the license:
18 (a) is not eligible for a refund for the cost of the surrendered license;
19 (b) may not designate to which organization, the donation is being made but may not designate to
20 which disabled veteran, or disabled member of the armed forces the license is being surrendered; and
21 (c) shall surrender the donated license and any related permit before the start of any season for
22 which the license and permit are valid.
23 (2) In order to obtain a license and any related permit pursuant to this section, a veteran or a
24 member of the armed forces:
25 (a) must be a purple heart recipient;
26 (b) must, as the result of wounds or injuries received in a combat zone, be medically retired, have
27 a 70% or greater disability rating by the United States department of veterans affairs or department of defense,
28 or have active duty status; ****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 307.1
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 307
1 (c) is not required to be a resident;
2 (d) does not have to first obtain a conservation license; and
3 (e) is not required to pay any fee.; and
4 (f) may not have previously received a license and any related permit pursuant to this section in
5 the past calendar year.
6 (3) A license and any related permit reissued pursuant to this section entitles the disabled veteran
7 or disabled member of the armed forces to take the same species in the same administrative region or regions,
8 hunting district or districts, or portions thereof, as allowed by the license and any related permit that was
9 surrendered.
10 (4) Any license or permit surrendered or reissued pursuant to this section may not be sold, traded,
11 auctioned, or offered for any monetary value and may not be used by any person other than a disabled veteran
12 or disabled member of the armed forces who meets the requirements of subsection (2).
13 (5) The restrictions in 87-2-702(3) and (4) do not apply to a disabled veteran or a disabled member
14 of the armed forces who obtains a license pursuant to this section.
15 (6) The department may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section."
16 - END -