| 1 |
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| 2 | A bill to be entitled |
| 3 | An act relating to recreational licenses and permits; |
| 4 | amending s. 372.57, F.S.; providing for a military gold |
| 5 | sportsman's license; providing for an annual fee; |
| 6 | providing authorizations allowed under license; providing |
| 7 | eligibility requirements; amending ss. 372.5712, 372.5715, |
| 8 | and 372.573, F.S.; providing for uses of specified pro |
| 9 | rata portions of revenue generated from the military gold |
| 10 | sportsman's license; amending s. 372.661, F.S.; exempting |
| 11 | patrons of licensed hunting preserves from the license and |
| 12 | permit requirements of the military gold sportsman's |
| 13 | license while hunting on the licensed preserve property; |
| 14 | providing an effective date. |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 17 |
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| 18 | Section 1. Paragraph (j) is added to subsection (4) of |
| 19 | section 372.57, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 20 | 372.57 Recreational licenses, permits, and authorization |
| 21 | numbers; fees established.-- |
| 22 | (4) RESIDENT HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES.--The licenses |
| 23 | and fees for residents participating in hunting and fishing |
| 24 | activities in this state are as follows: |
| 25 | (j) Annual military gold sportsman's license, $18.50. The |
| 26 | gold sportsman's license authorizes the person to whom it is |
| 27 | issued to take freshwater fish, saltwater fish, and game, |
| 28 | subject to the state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, |
| 29 | including rules of the commission, in effect at the time of |
| 30 | taking. Other authorized activities include activities |
| 31 | authorized by a management area permit, a muzzle-loading gun |
| 32 | permit, a turkey permit, a Florida waterfowl permit, an archery |
| 33 | permit, a snook permit, and a crawfish permit. Any resident who |
| 34 | is an active or retired member of the United States Armed |
| 35 | Forces, the United States Armed Forces Reserve, the National |
| 36 | Guard, the United States Coast Guard, or the United States Coast |
| 37 | Guard Reserve is eligible to purchase the military gold |
| 38 | sportsman's license upon submission of a current military |
| 39 | identification card. |
| 40 | Section 2. Section 372.5712, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 41 | to read: |
| 42 | 372.5712 Florida waterfowl permit revenues.-- |
| 43 | (1) The commission shall expend the revenues generated |
| 44 | from the sale of the Florida waterfowl permit as provided in s. |
| 45 | 372.57(8)(a) or that pro rata portion of any license that |
| 46 | includes waterfowl hunting privileges, as provided in s. |
| 47 | 372.57(4)(h), and (i), and (j) and (9)(a)3. as follows: A |
| 48 | maximum of 5 percent of the gross revenues shall be expended for |
| 49 | administrative costs; a maximum of 25 percent of the gross |
| 50 | revenues shall be expended for waterfowl research approved by |
| 51 | the commission; and a maximum of 70 percent of the gross |
| 52 | revenues shall be expended for projects approved by the |
| 53 | commission, in consultation with the Waterfowl Advisory Council, |
| 54 | for the purpose of protecting and propagating migratory |
| 55 | waterfowl and for the development, restoration, maintenance, and |
| 56 | preservation of wetlands within the state. |
| 57 | (2) The intent of this section is to expand waterfowl |
| 58 | research and management and increase waterfowl populations in |
| 59 | the state without detracting from other programs. The commission |
| 60 | shall prepare an annual report documenting the use of funds |
| 61 | generated under the provisions of this section, to be submitted |
| 62 | to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, |
| 63 | and the President of the Senate on or before September 1 of each |
| 64 | year. |
| 65 | Section 3. Section 372.5715, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 66 | to read: |
| 67 | 372.5715 Florida wild turkey permit revenues.-- |
| 68 | (1) The commission shall expend the revenues generated |
| 69 | from the sale of the turkey permit as provided for in s. |
| 70 | 372.57(8)(b) or that pro rata portion of any license that |
| 71 | includes turkey hunting privileges as provided for in s. |
| 72 | 372.57(4)(h), and (i), and (j) for research and management of |
| 73 | wild turkeys. |
| 74 | (2) The intent of this section is to expand wild turkey |
| 75 | research and management and to increase wild turkey populations |
| 76 | in the state without detracting from other programs. The |
| 77 | commission shall prepare an annual report documenting the use of |
| 78 | funds generated under the provisions of this section, to be |
| 79 | submitted to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of |
| 80 | Representatives, and the President of the Senate on or before |
| 81 | September 1 of each year. |
| 82 | Section 4. Section 372.573, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 83 | to read: |
| 84 | 372.573 Management area permit revenues.--The commission |
| 85 | shall expend the revenue generated from the sale of the |
| 86 | management area permit as provided for in s. 372.57(8)(h) or |
| 87 | that pro rata portion of any license that includes management |
| 88 | area privileges as provided for in s. 372.57(4)(h), and (i), and |
| 89 | (j) for the lease, management, and protection of lands for |
| 90 | public hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation. |
| 91 | Section 5. Section 372.661, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 92 | to read: |
| 93 | 372.661 Private hunting preserve license fees; |
| 94 | exception.-- |
| 95 | (1) Any person who operates a private hunting preserve |
| 96 | commercially or otherwise shall be required to pay a license fee |
| 97 | of $70 for each such preserve; provided, however, that during |
| 98 | the open season established for wild game of any species a |
| 99 | private individual may take artificially propagated game of such |
| 100 | species up to the bag limit prescribed for the particular |
| 101 | species without being required to pay the license fee required |
| 102 | by this section; provided further that if any such individual |
| 103 | shall charge a fee for taking such game she or he shall be |
| 104 | required to pay the license fee required by this section and to |
| 105 | comply with the rules of the commission relative to the |
| 106 | operation of private hunting preserves. |
| 107 | (2) A commercial hunting preserve license, which shall |
| 108 | exempt patrons of licensed preserves from the license and permit |
| 109 | requirements of s. 372.57(4)(c), (d), (f), (h), and (i), and |
| 110 | (j); (5)(f) and (g); (8)(a), (b), (e), and (f); (9)(a)2.; (11); |
| 111 | and (12) while hunting on the licensed preserve property, shall |
| 112 | be $500. Such commercial hunting preserve license shall be |
| 113 | available only to those private hunting preserves licensed |
| 114 | pursuant to this section which are operated exclusively for |
| 115 | commercial purposes, which are open to the public, and for which |
| 116 | a uniform fee is charged to patrons for hunting privileges. |
| 117 | Section 6. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |