H. B. 4569
(By Delegates Yeager, Poling, Tucker,
Romine, Leggett and Pethtel)
[Introduced February 21, 2002; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then the
Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section twenty-eight, article two,
chapter twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to allowing the
director of natural resources to enter into reciprocal
agreements with the state of Ohio with regard to hunting and
fishing on tributaries of the Ohio River.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section twenty-eight, article two, chapter twenty of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
PART II. LICENSES AND PERMITS.
§20-2-28. When licenses or permits not required.
Persons in the following categories shall not be required to
obtain licenses or permits as indicated:
(a) Bona fide resident landowners or their resident children,
or resident parents, or bona fide resident tenants of such land,
may hunt, trap or fish on their own land during open season in
accordance with the laws and regulations applying to such hunting,
trapping and fishing without obtaining a license to do so unless
such lands have been designated as a wildlife refuge or preserve.
(b) Any bona fide resident of this state who is totally blind
may fish in this state without obtaining a fishing license to do
so. A written statement or certificate from a duly licensed
physician of this state showing the said resident to be totally
blind shall serve in lieu of a fishing license and shall be carried
on the person of said resident at all times while he or she is
fishing in this state.
(c) All residents of West Virginia on active duty in the armed
forces of the United States of America, while on leave or furlough,
shall have the right and privilege to hunt, trap or fish in season
in West Virginia without obtaining a license to do so. Leave or
furlough papers shall serve in lieu of any such license and shall
be carried on the person at all times while trapping, hunting or fishing.
(d) In accordance with the provisions of section twenty-seven
of this article, any resident sixty-five years of age or older is
not required to have a license to hunt, trap or fish during the
legal seasons in West Virginia, but in lieu of such license any
such person shall at all times while hunting, trapping or fishing,
carry on his or her person a valid West Virginia driver's license
or nondriver identification card issued by the division of motor
vehicles.
(e) Residents of the state of Maryland who carry hunting or
fishing licenses valid in that state may hunt or fish from the West
Virginia banks of the Potomac River without obtaining licenses to
do so, but such hunting or fishing shall be confined to the fish
and waterfowl of the river proper and not on its tributaries:
Provided, That the state of Maryland shall first enter into a
reciprocal agreement with the director extending a like privilege
of hunting and fishing on the Potomac River from the Maryland banks
of said river to licensed residents of West Virginia, without
requiring said residents to obtain Maryland hunting and fishing
licenses.
(f) Residents of the state of Ohio who carry hunting or fishing licenses valid in that state may hunt or fish on the Ohio
River or from the West Virginia banks of said river without
obtaining licenses to do so, but such hunting or fishing shall be
confined to fish and waterfowl of the river proper and not on its
tributaries: Provided, That the state of Ohio shall first enter to
points on West Virginia tributaries and embayments identified by
the director: Provided, That the state of Ohio shall first enter
into a reciprocal agreement with the director extending a like
privilege of hunting and fishing from the Ohio banks of said river
to licensed residents of West Virginia without requiring said
residents to obtain Ohio hunting and fishing licenses. In the
event the state of Ohio accords this privilege to residents of West
Virginia, such Ohio residents will not be required to obtain the
license provided for by section forty-two of this article.
(g) Any resident of West Virginia who was honorably discharged
from the armed forces of the United States of America, and who
receives a veteran's pension based on total permanent service
connected disability as certified to by the veterans
administration, shall be permitted to hunt, trap or fish in this
state without obtaining a license therefor. The director shall
propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code
setting forth the procedure for the certification of the veteran,
manner of applying for and receiving the certification and
requirements as to identification while said veteran is hunting,
trapping or fishing.
(h) Any disabled veteran, who is a resident of West Virginia,
and who, as certified to by the commissioner of motor vehicles, is
eligible to be exempt from the payment of any fee on account of
registration of any motor vehicle owned by such disabled veteran as
provided for in section eight, article ten, chapter seventeen-a of
this code, shall be permitted to hunt, trap or fish in this state
without obtaining a license therefor. The director shall propose
rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of
article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code setting forth the
procedure for the certification of the disabled veteran, manner of
applying for and receiving the certification, and requirements as
to identification while said disabled veteran is hunting, trapping
or fishing.
(i) Any resident or inpatient in any state mental health,
health or benevolent institution or facility may fish in this
state, under proper supervision of the institution involved, without obtaining a fishing license to do so. A written statement
or certificate signed by the superintendent of the mental health,
health or benevolent institution or facility in which the resident
or inpatient, as the case may be, is institutionalized shall serve
in lieu of a fishing license and shall be carried on the person of
the resident or inpatient at all times while he or she is fishing
in this state.
(j) Any resident who is developmentally disabled, as certified
by a physician and the director of the division of health, may fish
in this state without obtaining a fishing license to do so. As
used in this section, "developmentally disabled" means a person
with a severe, chronic disability which:
(1) Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment, or a
combination of mental and physical impairments;
(2) Is manifested before the person attains age twenty-two;
(3) Results in substantial functional limitations in three or
more of the following areas of major life activity: (A) Self-care;
(B) receptive and expressive language; (C) learning; (D) mobility;
(E) self-direction; (F) capacity for independent living; and (G)
economic self-sufficiency; and
(4) Reflects the person's need for a combination and sequence of care, treatment or supportive services which are of lifelong or
extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
On page three, line twenty-one, by striking the words
"tributaries: Provided, That the state of Ohio shall first".