SB 683

Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issues two

types of bear hunting licenses. A Class A bear license allows the license holder to

shoot and kill bear. A Class B bear license allows the license holder to assist a Class

A bear license holder in pursuing bear, to bait bear, and to train dogs to pursue bear,

but it does not allow the license holder to actually shoot at or kill bear. DNR

administers a cumulative preference system for issuing Class A bear licenses if the

number of applicants for the licenses exceeds the number of licenses available. The

more preference points an applicant has, the higher the priority he or she is given

in the issuance of the Class A bear licenses.

This bill allows a person who is issued a Class A bear license to transfer that

license to a person who was awarded a purple heart medal. The bill provides that

a purple heart medal recipient may be the transferee of a Class A bear license only

once during his or her lifetime. The transfer of a license to a purple heart medal

recipient does not affect the number of preference points that the transferee may

have previously acquired under the cumulative preference system. The bill allows

both residents and nonresidents to transfer Class A bear licenses and allows both

residents and nonresident to be the transferees. No fee in addition to the original fee

paid by the transferor of the license is required except that, if a resident transfers

a license to a nonresident, the resident must pay a fee equal to the difference between

the fees for the nonresident and resident license. There is no rebate of the fee if a

nonresident transfers a license to a resident.