SB 167

This bill makes various changes to the laws relating to restrictions on hunting

and firearm possession and establishes a hunting mentorship program.

Accompaniment by parent or guardian

Under current law, a person who is the minimum hunting age but under the age

of 16 may hunt or have a firearm in his or her possession or control if the person is

accompanied by a parent or guardian and if he or she meets certain other

requirements. This bill specifies that such a person may also hunt or have a firearm

in his or her possession or control if the person is accompanied by an individual who

is at least 18 years old and who has been designated by the person's parent or

guardian.

Mentorship program

Current law requires, with certain exceptions, that every person who obtains

a hunting approval must have a certificate of accomplishment issued by the

Department of Natural Resources (DNR) indicating that he or she has successfully

completed the hunter education program or bow hunter education program

established by DNR. Current law also generally prohibits hunting and firearm

possession by any person under the age of 12. For persons who are at least 12 years

old, but under the age of 16, current law allows hunting and firearm possession but

imposes certain restrictions that vary depending on the person's age.

This bill creates a new exception to the general requirement that a person

obtain a certificate of accomplishment in order to obtain a hunting approval. The bill

also lowers the minimum hunting age from 12 years of age to ten years of age for

persons who hunt under the hunting mentorship program established in this bill.

The bill authorizes a person who is at least ten years of age to hunt without obtaining

a certificate of accomplishment and to possess or control a firearm while hunting if

the person has a valid hunting approval and is hunting with a qualified mentor.

Under the hunting mentorship program, to qualify as a mentor, a person must

be 18 years of age or older and be the parent or guardian of the person for whom he

or she is serving as a mentor or be authorized by the parent or guardian to serve as

the mentor. The bill provides that at all times when serving as a mentor, the mentor

must be within arm's reach of the person for whom he or she is serving as a mentor,

must have a current valid hunting approval, and must have obtained a certificate of

accomplishment or be exempt from the requirement to obtain a certificate of

accomplishment. The bill provides that a mentor may take only one person hunting

at a time and specifies that a mentor and a person who is hunting with the mentor

may jointly have only one firearm or crossbow while hunting.

Other provisions

Under current law, a person who is 12 years of age or older may possess or

control a firearm and may hunt with a firearm or bow and arrow on that person's land

or on land owned by his or her family if no license is required and if the firing of