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A bill to be entitled

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

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

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specified date who is an active-duty member of the United

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States Armed Forces or a current member of the United

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States Armed Forces Reserves, the United States National

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

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Coast Guard Reserve may satisfy the requirement for

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completing the hunter safety course by completing an

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online electronic course or by completing a hunter safety

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workbook and written exam provided by the Fish and

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Wildlife Conservation Commission; providing an effective

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date.

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

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

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Statutes, is amended to read:

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     372.5717  Hunter safety course; requirements; penalty.--

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

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

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

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in this state without having first successfully completed a

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hunter safety course as provided in this section, and without

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having in his or her personal possession a hunter safety

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certification card, as provided in this section.

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

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successfully completed a hunter safety course may apply to the

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commission for a special authorization to hunt under supervision.

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The special authorization for supervised hunting shall be

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designated on any license or permit required under this chapter

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

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

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

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

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special authorization to hunt under supervision must hunt under

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

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

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who is exempt from licensing requirements or eligible for a free

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license pursuant to s. 372.562.

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

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active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces or a current

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member of the United States Armed Forces Reserves, the National

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

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Guard Reserve, upon submission of a current military

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identification card, may satisfy the requirements of this

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subsection by successfully completing an online electronic hunter

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safety course that has been approved by the Fish and Wildlife

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Conservation Commission or by completing a workbook and written

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test provided by the commission.

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