Committee advances bill to offer lifetime hunting and fishing privileges to some disabled veterans

The Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development committee advanced Senate Bill 397 on a voice vote after adopting an amendment, moving forward a proposal to offer lifetime hunting and fishing privileges to certain disabled veterans.

An unidentified presenter said the bill was brought to the committee by the Game and Fish agency and described the measure as intended to "help the disabled veteran community." The presenter said it would "give a lifetime, license in hunting, fishing, duck... and trout, for a 1 time fee of a dollar 50," and that eligibility would be limited to veterans who are at least 70% disabled or 50% disabled with a Purple Heart. The presenter added that the pool of eligible veterans in the state would be small.

Senator Malek asked for a fee clarification, noting that "if you're just getting a lifetime license to hunt or to fish, it's a dollar 50. But if you get all of the duck stamp and trout stamp, it's $52.50." Committee members and the presenter confirmed the bill’s intent to include those items under the one-time fee structure as described in the hearing.

No members of the public spoke on the measure during the committee’s public comment period. The chair closed debate, and after a motion and second the committee voted by voice to give SB 397 a "due pass as amended" recommendation. The transcript records the chair saying, "Congratulations, Senator Wallace. You've passed SB 3 97," but the transcript does not provide a numeric roll-call or tally for the voice vote.

The bill now advances from committee; the transcript does not record the next formal step or a calendar placement.