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Committee moves 'ought not to pass' on bill to extend hunter‑safety exemption to veterans and law‑enforcement
Summary
Representative Dean Cray introduced LD 14 03 to exempt individuals with employment firearm training from Maine's hunter safety course requirement; the Department opposed expansion, and the committee later voted in work session to report the bill 'ought not to pass.'
Representative Dean Cray introduced LD 14 03, a constituent bill that would expand an existing exemption from mandatory hunter‑safety certification to include individuals who have completed employer‑required firearm training such as veterans and law‑enforcement officers.
The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife testified in opposition, saying Maine's hunter education follows International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) standards and covers subjects beyond firearms handling—tree‑stand and wilderness safety, ethics, landowner relations, wildlife management and archery and trapping basics. Emily McCabe of the department also noted that since 2020 Maine has offered a fully online, self‑paced hunter education course (for ages 16 and up) that generally removes access barriers identified when the active‑duty military exemption was created.
Committee discussion noted variation among other states that have some exemptions for armed forces or law enforcement but emphasized that the hunter safety curriculum provides broader conservation and safety context than employer firearm training may include. Representative Jim Thorne, a military retiree, said his experience taking hunter safety elsewhere reinforced the value of the full course.
In the committee work session, Representative Thorne moved that the committee report LD 14 03 “ought not to pass.” Representative Mason seconded. The roll call recorded those present voting yes, and the committee adopted the motion unanimously among members present; the clerk recorded “Unanimous of those present, 3 absent.”
Because the department said the online, fully certified course is available and delivers a wider curriculum than many employment firearm trainings, lawmakers cited concerns that a broad exemption would allow people who have not received comprehensive hunter‑education instruction to hunt without that context.
The committee closed the record and the motion to report ought not to pass will be filed as the committee recommendation.
