Bill Text: IL SB2701 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Allows for sport fishing devices resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are at least 50% disabled with service-related disabilities to obtain a 4-year fishing license. Provides that the fee for a 4-year fishing license for a resident veteran is $29. Requires resident veterans to provide to the Department of Natural Resources verification of their service and service-related disability. Requires the Department to establish what constitutes suitable verification of service and service-related disability for the purpose of issuing 4-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee. Provides that 4-year fishing licenses issued to qualifying resident veterans shall expire on March 31 of the third year after the year in which the license is issued.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-10 - Referred to Assignments [SB2701 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2701-Introduced.html

---

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2701 Introduced 1/10/2024, by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
515 ILCS 5/20-45 from Ch. 56, par. 20-45
Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Allows for sport fishing devices resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are at least 50% disabled with service-related disabilities to obtain a 4-year fishing license. Provides that the fee for a 4-year fishing license for a resident veteran is $29. Requires resident veterans to provide to the Department of Natural Resources verification of their service and service-related disability. Requires the Department to establish what constitutes suitable verification of service and service-related disability for the purpose of issuing 4-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee. Provides that 4-year fishing licenses issued to qualifying resident veterans shall expire on March 31 of the third year after the year in which the license is issued.
LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
A BILL FOR
SB2701 LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
AN ACT concerning fish.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by
changing Section 20-45 as follows:
(515 ILCS 5/20-45) (from Ch. 56, par. 20-45)
Sec. 20-45. License fees for residents. Fees for licenses
for residents of the State of Illinois shall be as follows:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for
sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, the fee is
$14.50 for individuals 16 to 64 years old, one-half of the
current fishing license fee for individuals age 65 or
older, and, commencing with the 2012 license year,
one-half of the current fishing license fee for resident
veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
the United States as an active duty member of the United
States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the
Reserves of the United States Armed Forces. Veterans must
provide to the Department acceptable verification of their
service. The Department shall establish by administrative
rule the procedure by which such verification of service

SB2701 - 2 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
shall be made to the Department for the purpose of issuing
fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee.
(a-3) Except as otherwise provided in this Section,
for sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, residents
of this State may obtain a 3-year fishing license. The fee
for a 3-year fishing license is 3 times the annual fee. For
residents age 65 or older, the fee is one half of the fee
charged for a 3-year fishing license. For resident
veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged
for a 3-year fishing license. Veterans must provide to the
Department, per administrative rule, verification of their
service. The Department shall establish what constitutes
suitable verification of service for the purpose of
issuing 3-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a
reduced fee.
(a-4) Except as otherwise provided in this Section,
for sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, resident
veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are at
least 50% disabled with service-related disabilities may
obtain a 4-year fishing license. For resident veterans who
qualify for a 4-year fishing license under this
subsection, the fee for a 4-year fishing license is $29.

SB2701 - 3 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
Resident veterans must provide to the Department, per
administrative rule, verification of their service and
service-related disability. The Department shall establish
what constitutes suitable verification of service and
service-related disability for the purpose of issuing
4-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced
fee.
(a-5) The fee for all sport fishing licenses shall be
$1 for an annual license and 3 times the annual fee for a
3-year license for residents over 75 years of age.
(b) All residents before using any commercial fishing
device shall obtain a commercial fishing license, the fee
for which shall be $60 and a resident fishing license, the
fee for which is $14.50. Each and every commercial device
used shall be licensed by a resident commercial fisherman
as follows:
(1) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction
thereof, of seine the fee is $18. For each minnow
seine, minnow trap, or net for commercial purposes the
fee is $20.
(2) For each device to fish with a 100 hook trot
line device, basket trap, hoop net, or dip net the fee
is $3.
(3) When used in the waters of Lake Michigan, for
the first 2000 lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of
gill net the fee is $10; and for each 1000 additional

SB2701 - 4 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
lineal feet, or fraction thereof, the fee is $10.
These fees shall apply to all gill nets in use in the
water or on drying reels on the shore.
(4) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction
thereof, of gill net or trammel net the fee is $18.
(c) Residents of this State may obtain a sportsmen's
combination license that shall entitle the holder to the
same non-commercial fishing privileges as residents
holding a license as described in subsection (a) of this
Section and to the same hunting privileges as residents
holding a license to hunt all species as described in
Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No sportsmen's
combination license shall be issued to any individual who
would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting
license separately. The sportsmen's combination license
fee shall be $25.50. For residents age 65 or older, the fee
is one-half of the fee charged for a sportsmen's
combination license. For resident veterans of the United
States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or
mobilization by the President of the United States as an
active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the
Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United
States Armed Forces, the fee, commencing with the 2012
license year, is one-half of the fee charged for a
sportsmen's combination license. Veterans must provide to
the Department acceptable verification of their service.

SB2701 - 5 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
The Department shall establish by administrative rule the
procedure by which such verification of service shall be
made to the Department for the purpose of issuing
sportsmen's combination licenses to resident veterans at a
reduced fee.
(c-5) Residents of this State may obtain a 3-year
sportsmen's combination license that shall entitle the
holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as
residents holding a license as described in subsection
(a-3) and to the same hunting privileges as residents
holding a license to hunt all species as described in
Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. A 3-year sportsmen's
combination license shall not be issued to any individual
who would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting
license separately. The 3-year sportsmen's combination
license fee shall be 3 times the annual fee. For residents
age 65 or older, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for
a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. For resident
veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged
for a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. Veterans
must provide to the Department, per administrative rule,
verification of their service. The Department shall
establish what constitutes suitable verification of
service for the purpose of issuing 3-year sportsmen's

SB2701 - 6 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
combination licenses to resident veterans at a reduced
fee.
(d) For 24 hours of fishing by sport fishing devices
as defined in Section 10-95 or by spearing devices as
defined in Section 10-110 the fee is $5. This license does
not exempt the licensee from the requirement for a salmon
or inland trout stamp. The licenses provided for by this
subsection are not required for residents of the State of
Illinois who have obtained the license provided for in
subsection (a) or (a-3) of this Section.
(e) All residents before using any commercial mussel
device shall obtain a commercial mussel license, the fee
for which shall be $50.
(f) Residents of this State, upon establishing
residency as required by the Department, may obtain a
lifetime hunting or fishing license or lifetime
sportsmen's combination license which shall entitle the
holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as
residents holding a license as described in paragraph (a)
of this Section and to the same hunting privileges as
residents holding a license to hunt all species as
described in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No lifetime
sportsmen's combination license shall be issued to or
retained by any individual who would be ineligible for
either the fishing or hunting license separately, either
upon issuance, or in any year a violation would subject an

SB2701 - 7 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
individual to have either or both fishing or hunting
privileges rescinded. The lifetime hunting and fishing
license fees shall be as follows:
(1) Lifetime fishing: 30 x the current fishing
license fee.
(2) Lifetime hunting: 30 x the current hunting
license fee.
(3) Lifetime sportsmen's combination license: 30 x
the current sportsmen's combination license fee.
Lifetime licenses shall not be refundable. A $10 fee shall
be charged for reissuing any lifetime license. The Department
may establish rules and regulations for the issuance and use
of lifetime licenses and may suspend or revoke any lifetime
license issued under this Section for violations of those
rules or regulations or other provisions under this Code or
the Wildlife Code, or a violation of the United States Code
that involves the taking, possessing, killing, harvesting,
transportation, selling, exporting, or importing any fish or
aquatic life protected by this Code or the taking, possessing,
killing, harvesting, transportation, selling, exporting, or
importing any fauna protected by the Wildlife Code when any
part of the United States Code violation occurred in Illinois.
Individuals under 16 years of age who possess a lifetime
hunting or sportsmen's combination license shall have in their
possession, while in the field, a certificate of competency as
required under Section 3.2 of the Wildlife Code. Any lifetime

SB2701 - 8 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b
license issued under this Section shall not exempt individuals
from obtaining additional stamps or permits required under the
provisions of this Code or the Wildlife Code. Individuals
required to purchase additional stamps shall sign the stamps
and have them in their possession while fishing or hunting
with a lifetime license. All fees received from the issuance
of lifetime licenses shall be deposited in the Fish and
Wildlife Endowment Fund.
Except for licenses issued under subsection (e) of this
Section, all licenses provided for in this Section shall
expire on March 31 of each year, except that the license
provided for in subsection (d) of this Section shall expire 24
hours after the effective date and time listed on the face of
the license. Licenses issued under subsection (a-3) or (c-5)
shall expire on March 31 of the 2nd year after the year in
which the license is issued. Licenses issued under subsection
(a-4) shall expire on March 31 of the third year after the year
in which the license is issued.
The Department shall by administrative rule provide for
the automatic renewal of a fishing license upon the request of
the applicant.
All individuals required to have and failing to have the
license provided for in subsection (a), (a-3), or (d) of this
Section shall be fined according to the provisions of Section
20-35 of this Code.
All individuals required to have and failing to have the

SB2701 - 9 - LRB103 36023 LNS 66110 b