Public Act 094-0313
 
HB2550 Enrolled LRB094 10416 LJB 40686 b

    AN ACT concerning recreation.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Department of Natural Resources
(Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
is amended by changing Section 805-305 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 805/805-305)  (was 20 ILCS 805/63a23)
    Sec. 805-305. Campsites and housing facilities. The
Department has the power to provide facilities for overnight
tent and trailer camp sites and to provide suitable housing
facilities for student and juvenile overnight camping groups.
The Department of Natural Resources may regulate, by
administrative order, the fees to be charged for tent and
trailer camping units at individual park areas based upon the
facilities available. However, for campsites with access to
showers or electricity, any Illinois resident who is age 62 or
older or has a Class 2 disability as defined in Section 4A of
the Illinois Identification Card Act shall be charged only
one-half of the camping fee charged to the general public
during the period Monday through Thursday of any week and shall
be charged the same camping fee as the general public on all
other days. For campsites without access to showers or
electricity, no camping fee authorized by this Section shall be
charged to any resident of Illinois who has a Class 2
disability as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois
Identification Card Act. For campsites without access to
showers or electricity, no camping fee authorized by this
Section shall be charged to any resident of Illinois who is age
62 or older for the use of a camp site unit during the period
Monday through Thursday of any week. No camping fee authorized
by this Section shall be charged to any resident of Illinois
who is a disabled veteran or a former prisoner of war, as
defined in Section 5 of the Department of Veterans Affairs Act.
No camping fee authorized by this Section shall be charged to
any resident of Illinois 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 for the amount of time that the active duty member spent
in service abroad or mobilized if the person applies for a pass
at the Department office in Springfield within 2 years of
returning and provides verification of service or mobilization
to the Department; any portion of a year that the active duty
member spent in service abroad or mobilized shall count as a
full year. Nonresidents shall be charged the same fees as are
authorized for the general public regardless of age. The
Department shall provide by regulation for suitable proof of
age, or either a valid driver's license or a "Golden Age
Passport" issued by the federal government shall be acceptable
as proof of age. The Department shall further provide by
regulation that notice of these reduced admission fees be
posted in a conspicuous place and manner.
    Reduced fees authorized in this Section shall not apply to
any charge for utility service.
(Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00.)
 
    Section 10. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by
adding Section 20-47 as follows:
 
    (515 ILCS 5/20-47 new)
    Sec. 20-47. Military members returning from mobilization
and service outside the United States.
    (a) 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, an Illinois
resident may fish as permitted by this Code without paying any
fees required to obtain a fishing license for the time period
prescribed by subsection (b) of this Section if the Illinois
resident applies for a license within 2 years of returning from
service abroad or mobilization. The applicant shall provide
verification of service or mobilization to the Department at
the Department's office in Springfield.
    (b) For each year that an applicant is an active duty
member pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the
applicant shall receive one free fishing license. For the
purposes of this determination, if the period of active duty is
a portion of a year (for example, one year and 3 months), the
applicant will be credited with a full year for the portion of
a year served.
    (c) The Department shall establish what constitutes
suitable verification of service or mobilization under
subsection (a) of this Section.
 
    Section 15. The Wildlife Code is amended by adding Section
3.1-4 as follows:
 
    (520 ILCS 5/3.1-4 new)
    Sec. 3.1-4. Military members returning from mobilization
and service outside the United States.
    (a) 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, an Illinois
resident may hunt any of the species protected by Section 2.2
of this Code without paying any fees required to obtain a
hunting license for the time period prescribed by subsection
(b) of this Section if the Illinois resident applies for a
license within 2 years of returning from service abroad or
mobilization. The applicant shall provide verification of
service or mobilization to the Department at the Department's
office in Springfield.
    (b) For each year that an applicant is an active duty
member pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the
applicant shall receive one free hunting license, one free Deer
Hunting Permit as provided in Section 2.26 of this Code and
rules adopted pursuant to that Section, and one free State
Habitat Stamp. For the purposes of this determination, if the
period of active duty is a portion of a year (for example, one
year and 3 months), the applicant will be credited with a full
year for the portion of a year served.
    (c) The Department shall establish what constitutes
suitable verification of service or mobilization under
subsection (a) of this Section.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 07/25/2005