1

A bill to be entitled

2

An act relating to the hunter safety course; amending s.

3

372.5717, F.S.; providing that a person born on or after

4

June 1, 1970, who is a member of the United States active-

5

duty armed forces, the United States Armed Forces

6

Reserves, the United States National Guard, the United

7

States Coast Guard, or the United States Coast Guard

8

Reserve may satisfy the requirement for completing a

9

hunter safety course by completing an online electronic

10

course or by completing a hunter safety workbook and

11

written exam provided by the Fish and Wildlife

12

Conservation Commission; providing an effective date.

13

14

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

15

16

     Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 372.5717, Florida

17

Statutes, is amended to read:

18

     372.5717  Hunter safety course; requirements; penalty.--

19

     (2)(a)  Except as provided in paragraph (b), a person born

20

on or after June 1, 1975, may not be issued a license to take

21

wild animal life with the use of a firearm, gun, bow, or crossbow

22

in this state without having first successfully completed a

23

hunter safety course as provided in this section, and without

24

having in his or her personal possession a hunter safety

25

certification card, as provided in this section.

26

     (b)  A person born on or after June 1, 1975, who has not

27

successfully completed a hunter safety course may apply to the

28

commission for a special authorization to hunt under supervision.

29

The special authorization for supervised hunting shall be

30

designated on any license or permit required under this chapter

31

for a person to take game or fur-bearing animals and shall be

32

valid for not more than 1 year. A special authorization for

33

supervised hunting may not be issued more than once to the person

34

applying for such authorization. A person issued a license with a

35

special authorization to hunt under supervision must hunt under

36

the supervision of, and in the presence of, a person 21 years of

37

or age or older who is licensed to hunt pursuant to s. 372.57 or

38

who is exempt from licensing requirements or eligible for a free

39

license pursuant to s. 372.562.

40

     (c) Any resident born on or after June 1, 1975, who is an

41

active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the United

42

States Armed Forces Reserves, the National Guard, the United

43

States Coast Guard, or the United States Coast Guard Reserve,

44

upon submission of a current military identification card, may

45

satisfy the requirements of this subsection by successfully

46

completing a military hunter safety course that may be completed

47

entirely online electronically or by completing a hunter safety

48

workbook and written test provided by the commission.

49

     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.