Committee approves changes to donated‑license program to expand eligibility for disabled hunters

The Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee voted to advance Senate File 66, which would amend statutes governing donated hunting licenses to clarify eligibility and expand access for some disabled hunters.

Sponsor and purpose: Senator French said the bill came from a Park County group that coordinates donated landowner tags for disabled hunters and sought to replace a vague "20 years or younger" phrase with clear language (allowing applicants age 12 and older where appropriate) and to include vision‑impaired hunters among eligible categories.

Agency capacity and definitions: Director Bruce and Chief Dirk Miller told the committee that commission regulations currently reserve up to 50 donated tags per species (antelope, deer, elk, turkey) and that only 53 donated licenses were issued across those species over the last two years, indicating capacity for expanded eligibility. Chief Miller also said the department could lean on chapter 35 for a definition of "visually impaired" if the statute references it.

Disabled hunters' testimony: Patricia Windlow (Wyoming Disabled Hunters) described cases where vision‑impaired applicants could not qualify under existing donated‑tag rules and urged the change so those applicants have access to donated tags. Terry Skinner, a former president of Wyoming Disabled Hunters, testified the organization has coordinated more than 370 disabled hunters since 2009 and argued life‑threatened and vision‑impaired hunters should be eligible for donated tags similar to wheelchair users and veterans with 50%+ VA ratings.

The vote: The committee recorded a roll call with five ayes (including an absentee aye from Senator Hicks) and no nos; the chair said SF66 will go to the Senate.