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Committee hears bill to let hunters donate to pay for archery modifications for hunters with disabilities
Summary
Senate Bill 238 would create a voluntary donation option on hunting applications to fund modifications of legal archery equipment for hunters with disabilities, administered by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and paid to qualifying nonprofit organizations for modifications and reimbursements.
Senator Janet Ellis introduced Senate Bill 238 to the Senate Fish and Game Committee, saying the measure would allow hunters to voluntarily donate funds to a new account that would pay to modify legal archery equipment for hunters with disabilities.
"This bill will set up a bow hunters with disability account and let these voluntary donations come in," Ellis said, telling the committee the program would be administered by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and operated in partnership with nonprofits that provide the modifications.
Ellis framed the proposal on programs already in place. She said Hunters Against Hunger (established in 2014) has about 8% participation and has raised about $123,000 to date (about $5.90 per donor), and that a wolf mitigation account (established in 2020) gets donations from roughly 6% of hunters and has raised about $114,000 (about $6.90 per donor).
Several hunting and veterans organizations testified in support. Jerry Davis of the Montana Bow Hunters Association, which currently provides many modifications for recipients, said "This isn't a bill about archery equipment." He said MBA has paid for modifications but, as "a very small organization," cannot both expand youth outreach and continue to cover modification costs without additional, voluntary donor support. Davis described customized triggers and machining needed for some modifications and asked the committee to give SB 238 a "do pass."
Members of veteran and hunter groups told personal stories about recipients who gained meaningful access to hunting. Pete Siegel, a Billings resident who uses a modified bow, said modifying a bow is ‘‘too cost prohibitive’’ for many disabled hunters on fixed incomes and said he would voluntarily add money to his application if the program existed. Rob Rule of the Center for Warriors Foundation described veterans who benefited from modified equipment and urged committee support.
FWP licensing bureau chief Emily Cooper said the department would implement the program similar to other donation options on license applications. She told senators a fiscal note had been requested and was forthcoming; the department expected implementation would be straightforward because the donation mechanism mirrors existing programs. Cooper also said FWP would collect donations on behalf of qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations and those organizations would apply to FWP for reimbursement of modification costs.
Committee members asked whether a single 501(c)(3) would be the recipient and how veterans' and disability organizations would participate. Testifiers and FWP staff said multiple nonprofits could be involved; organizations would apply to FWP to be reimbursed and a variety of 501(c)(3) groups — including possible new foundations operating under an existing 501(c)(3) umbrella — could receive funds. The sponsor told the committee the effective date in the bill aims at "07/01/2025" to make funds available for the upcoming archery season.
The hearing closed without a committee vote. Senator Ellis told the committee a fiscal note was nearly complete and encouraged senators to give the bill a due pass once the fiscal details were available.
