| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED S.32 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #380026 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | S.32 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Senators Hardy, Beck, Heffernan, Watson and Williams 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | Referred to Committee on 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Date: 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Subject: Fish and wildlife; fishing; free license; persons with developmental 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | disabilities 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to provide a free 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | permanent fishing license to Vermont residents who are persons with 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | developmental disabilities. 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | An act relating to providing a free fishing license to persons with 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | developmental disabilities 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 4255(c) is amended to read: 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) A permanent or free license may be secured on application to the 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Department by a person qualifying as follows: 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | * * * 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) A person who is legally blind who is a Vermont resident may receive 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | a free permanent fishing license upon submittal of proper proof of blindness as 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | the Commissioner shall require. A person who is legally blind who is a 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.32 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | |
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| 27 | 27 | | |
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| 28 | 28 | | VT LEG #380026 v.1 |
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| 29 | 29 | | resident in a state that provides a reciprocal privilege for Vermont residents 1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | may receive a free one-year fishing license. 2 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) A Vermont resident with paraplegia as defined in subdivision 3 |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4001(30) of this title or a permanent, severe, physical mobility disability 4 |
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| 33 | 33 | | certified by a physician may receive a free permanent fishing license or, if the 5 |
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| 34 | 34 | | person qualifies for a hunting license, a free combination hunting and fishing 6 |
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| 35 | 35 | | license. A person with paraplegia or a person certified by a physician to have 7 |
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| 36 | 36 | | permanent, severe, physical mobility disability who is a resident of a state that 8 |
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| 37 | 37 | | provides a reciprocal privilege for Vermont residents may receive a free one-9 |
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| 38 | 38 | | year fishing license or, if the person qualifies for a hunting license, a free one-10 |
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| 39 | 39 | | year combination fishing and hunting license. 11 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (4) A Vermont resident who is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces and 12 |
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| 41 | 41 | | who is, or ever has been, 60 percent disabled as a result of a service-connected 13 |
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| 42 | 42 | | disability may receive a free fishing, hunting, or combination hunting and 14 |
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| 43 | 43 | | fishing license that shall include all big game licenses, except for a moose 15 |
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| 44 | 44 | | license, upon presentation of a certificate issued by the veterans’ 16 |
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| 45 | 45 | | administration so certifying. A resident of a state that provides a reciprocal 17 |
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| 46 | 46 | | privilege for Vermont veterans and who would qualify for a free license under 18 |
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| 47 | 47 | | this subdivision if the person were a Vermont resident may receive a free one-19 |
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| 48 | 48 | | year fishing, hunting, or combination hunting and fishing license. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.32 |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | VT LEG #380026 v.1 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (5) A person participating in a fishing tournament for Special Olympics 1 |
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| 54 | 54 | | may receive a free fishing license valid for that event. 2 |
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| 55 | 55 | | * * * 3 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (7) A certified citizen of a Native American Indian tribe that has been 4 |
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| 57 | 57 | | recognized by the State pursuant to 1 V.S.A. chapter 23 may receive free of 5 |
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| 58 | 58 | | charge one or all of the permanent fishing, hunting, or trapping licenses set 6 |
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| 59 | 59 | | forth in subdivisions (1)(A)–(D) of this subsection if qualified for the license 7 |
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| 60 | 60 | | and upon submission of a current and valid tribal identification card. 8 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (8) A person with developmental disabilities who is a Vermont resident 9 |
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| 62 | 62 | | may receive a free permanent fishing license upon submission to the 10 |
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| 63 | 63 | | Commissioner of a statement signed by the person’s physician certifying that 11 |
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| 64 | 64 | | the person meets the definition of a person with development disabilities. “A 12 |
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| 65 | 65 | | person with developmental disabilities” has the same meaning as in 18 V.S.A. 13 |
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| 66 | 66 | | § 9302. 14 |
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| 67 | 67 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 15 |
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| 68 | 68 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 16 |
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