Bill Text: IL HB1315 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Wildlife Code. In provisions concerning special deer, turkey, and combination hunting licenses, provides that one or more of the following shall constitute evidence of land ownership: a current property tax bill for the property showing that the hunter is the owner of the property; a current income tax return filed with the Department of Revenue by the hunter showing that the hunter is the owner of the property; or a current Conservation Reserve Program credit award from the United States Department of Agriculture, naming the individual hunter as the credit awardee.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-11 - Assigned to Agriculture & Conservation Committee [HB1315 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1315-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1315 Introduced , by Rep. Christopher "C.D." Davidsmeyer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
520 ILCS 5/3.1-6
Amends the Wildlife Code. In provisions concerning special deer, turkey, and combination hunting licenses, provides that one or more of the following shall constitute evidence of land ownership: a current property tax bill for the property showing that the hunter is the owner of the property; a current income tax return filed with the Department of Revenue by the hunter showing that the hunter is the owner of the property; or a current Conservation Reserve Program credit award from the United States Department of Agriculture, naming the individual hunter as the credit awardee.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning wildlife.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
Section 3.1-6 as follows:
(520 ILCS 5/3.1-6)
Sec. 3.1-6. Special deer, turkey, and combination hunting
licenses.
(a) For the purpose of this Section:
"Bona fide equity member" means an individual who:
(1) (i) became a member upon the formation of the
limited liability company or (ii) has purchased a
distributional interest in a limited liability company for
a value equal to the percentage of the appraised value of
the LLC assets represented by the distributional interest
in the LLC and subsequently becomes a member of the
company under Article 30 of the Limited Liability Company
Act; and
(2) intends to retain the membership for at least 5
years.
"Bona fide equity partner" means an individual who:
(1) (i) became a partner, either general or limited,
upon the formation of a partnership or limited

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partnership, or (ii) has purchased, acquired, or been
gifted a partnership interest accurately representing his
or her percentage distributional interest in the profits,
losses, and assets of a partnership or limited
partnership;
(2) intends to retain ownership of the partnership
interest for at least 5 years; and
(3) is a resident of this State.
"Bona fide equity shareholder" means an individual who:
(1) purchased, for market price, publicly sold stock
shares in a corporation, purchased shares of a
privately-held corporation for a value equal to the
percentage of the appraised value of the corporate assets
represented by the ownership in the corporation, or is a
member of a closely-held family-owned corporation and has
purchased or been gifted with shares of stock in the
corporation accurately reflecting his or her percentage of
ownership; and
(2) intends to retain the ownership of the shares of
stock for at least 5 years.
(b) Landowner Deer, Turkey, and combination permits shall
be issued without charge to:
(1) Illinois landowners residing in this State who own
at least 40 acres of Illinois land and wish to hunt upon
their land only;
(2) resident tenants of at least 40 acres of

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commercial agricultural land where they will hunt; and
(3) bona fide equity shareholders of a corporation,
bona fide equity members of a limited liability company,
or bona fide equity partners of a general or limited
partnership which owns at least 40 acres of land in a
county in this State who wish to hunt on the
corporation's, company's, or partnership's land only. One
permit shall be issued without charge to one bona fide
equity shareholder, one bona fide equity member, or one
bona fide equity partner for each 40 acres of land owned by
the corporation, company, or partnership in a county;
however, the number of permits issued without charge to
bona fide equity shareholders of any corporation or bona
fide equity members of a limited liability company in any
county shall not exceed 15, and shall not exceed 3 in the
case of bona fide equity partners of a partnership.
One or more of the following shall constitute evidence of
land ownership for the purposes of this Section: a current
property tax bill for the property showing that the hunter is
the owner of the property; a current income tax return filed
with the Department of Revenue by the hunter showing that the
hunter is the owner of the property; or a current Conservation
Reserve Program credit award from the United States Department
of Agriculture, naming the individual hunter as the credit
awardee.
Bona fide landowners or tenants who do not wish to hunt

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only on the land they own, rent, or lease or bona fide equity
shareholders, bona fide equity members, or bona fide equity
partners who do not wish to hunt only on the land owned by the
corporation, limited liability company, or partnership shall
be charged the same fee as the applicant who is not a
landowner, tenant, bona fide equity shareholder, bona fide
equity member, or bona fide equity partner. Nonresidents of
this State who own at least 40 acres of land and wish to hunt
on their land only shall be charged a fee set by administrative
rule. The method for obtaining these permits shall be
prescribed by administrative rule.
(c) The deer, turkey, or combination hunting permit issued
without fee shall be valid on all farm lands which the person
to whom it is issued owns, leases or rents, except that in the
case of a permit issued to a bona fide equity shareholder, bona
fide equity member, or bona fide equity partner, the permit
shall be valid on all lands owned by the corporation, limited
liability company, or partnership in the county.
(Source: P.A. 99-869, eff. 1-1-17.)