94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB4459

 

Introduced 1/10/2006, by Rep. Donald L. Moffitt

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 805/805-305   was 20 ILCS 805/63a23
515 ILCS 5/20-48 new
520 ILCS 5/3.1-5 new

    Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Fish and Aquatic Life Code, and the Wildlife Code to allow Illinois residents who are veterans of the Vietnam War, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs, and that served in that conflict as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces to camp, fish, and hunt without paying fees for the period of time that the member served in that conflict. Requires the qualifying veteran to apply for a pass at the Department office in Springfield and to provide verification of service to the Department. Provides that any portion of a year that the active duty member served shall count as a full year. Effective immediately.


LRB094 15839 RSP 51058 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4459 LRB094 15839 RSP 51058 b

1     AN ACT concerning recreation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Department of Natural Resources
5 (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
6 is amended by changing Section 805-305 as follows:
 
7     (20 ILCS 805/805-305)  (was 20 ILCS 805/63a23)
8     Sec. 805-305. Campsites and housing facilities. The
9 Department has the power to provide facilities for overnight
10 tent and trailer camp sites and to provide suitable housing
11 facilities for student and juvenile overnight camping groups.
12 The Department of Natural Resources may regulate, by
13 administrative order, the fees to be charged for tent and
14 trailer camping units at individual park areas based upon the
15 facilities available. However, for campsites with access to
16 showers or electricity, any Illinois resident who is age 62 or
17 older or has a Class 2 disability as defined in Section 4A of
18 the Illinois Identification Card Act shall be charged only
19 one-half of the camping fee charged to the general public
20 during the period Monday through Thursday of any week and shall
21 be charged the same camping fee as the general public on all
22 other days. For campsites without access to showers or
23 electricity, no camping fee authorized by this Section shall be
24 charged to any resident of Illinois who has a Class 2
25 disability as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois
26 Identification Card Act. For campsites without access to
27 showers or electricity, no camping fee authorized by this
28 Section shall be charged to any resident of Illinois who is age
29 62 or older for the use of a camp site unit during the period
30 Monday through Thursday of any week. No camping fee authorized
31 by this Section shall be charged to any resident of Illinois
32 who is a disabled veteran or a former prisoner of war, as

 

 

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1 defined in Section 5 of the Department of Veterans Affairs Act.
2 No camping fee authorized by this Section shall be charged to
3 any resident of Illinois who is a veteran of the Vietnam War,
4 as recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs, and
5 that served in that conflict as an active duty member of the
6 United States Armed Forces, the National Guard, or the Reserves
7 of the United States Armed Forces, if the person applies for a
8 pass at the Department office in Springfield and provides
9 verification of service in that conflict to the Department; any
10 portion of a year that the active duty member served in that
11 conflict shall count as a full year. No camping fee authorized
12 by this Section shall be charged to any resident of Illinois
13 after returning from service abroad or mobilization by the
14 President of the United States as an active duty member of the
15 United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the
16 Reserves of the United States Armed Forces for the amount of
17 time that the active duty member spent in service abroad or
18 mobilized if the person applies for a pass at the Department
19 office in Springfield within 2 years of returning and provides
20 verification of service or mobilization to the Department; any
21 portion of a year that the active duty member spent in service
22 abroad or mobilized shall count as a full year. Nonresidents
23 shall be charged the same fees as are authorized for the
24 general public regardless of age. The Department shall provide
25 by regulation for suitable proof of age, or either a valid
26 driver's license or a "Golden Age Passport" issued by the
27 federal government shall be acceptable as proof of age. The
28 Department shall further provide by regulation that notice of
29 these reduced admission fees be posted in a conspicuous place
30 and manner.
31     Reduced fees authorized in this Section shall not apply to
32 any charge for utility service.
33 (Source: P.A. 94-313, eff. 7-25-05.)
 
34     Section 10. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by
35 adding Section 20-48 as follows:
 

 

 

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1     (515 ILCS 5/20-48 new)
2     Sec. 20-48. Vietnam veterans.
3     (a) Any resident of Illinois who is a veteran of the
4 Vietnam War, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans'
5 Affairs, and that served in that conflict as an active duty
6 member of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard,
7 or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces may fish as
8 permitted by this Code without paying any fees required to
9 obtain a fishing license for the time period prescribed by
10 subsection (b) of this Section. The applicant shall provide
11 verification of service to the Department at the Department's
12 office in Springfield.
13     (b) For each year that an applicant was an active duty
14 member pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the
15 applicant shall receive one free fishing license. For the
16 purposes of this determination, if the period of active duty is
17 a portion of a year (for example, one year and 3 months), the
18 applicant will be credited with a full year for the portion of
19 a year served.
20     (c) The Department shall establish what constitutes
21 suitable verification of service under subsection (a) of this
22 Section.
 
23     Section 15. The Wildlife Code is amended by adding Section
24 3.1-5 as follows:
 
25     (520 ILCS 5/3.1-5 new)
26     Sec. 3.1-5. Vietnam veterans.
27     (a) Any resident of Illinois who is a veteran of the
28 Vietnam War, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans'
29 Affairs, and that served in that conflict as an active duty
30 member of the United States Armed Forces, the National Guard,
31 or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces may hunt any
32 of the species protected by Section 2.2 of this Code without
33 paying any fees required to obtain a hunting license for the

 

 

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1 time period prescribed by subsection (b) of this Section. The
2 applicant shall provide verification of service to the
3 Department at the Department's office in Springfield.
4     (b) For each year that an applicant was an active duty
5 member pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the
6 applicant shall receive one free hunting license, one free Deer
7 Hunting Permit as provided in Section 2.26 of this Code and
8 rules adopted pursuant to that Section, and one free State
9 Habitat Stamp. For the purposes of this determination, if the
10 period of active duty is a portion of a year (for example, one
11 year and 3 months), the applicant will be credited with a full
12 year for the portion of a year served.
13     (c) The Department shall establish what constitutes
14 suitable verification of service under subsection (a) of this
15 Section.
 
16     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17 becoming law.