Bill Text: IL SB3071 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Fish and Aquatic Life Code, and the Wildlife Code. Authorizes veterans who are applying for a free camping pass or fishing or hunting license to provide acceptable verification of service or mobilization by mail rather than only at the Department's office in Springfield. Defines "acceptable verification of service or mobilization" to mean (i) documentation from the Department of Defense, the appropriate major command, or a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces regarding dates of mobilization or service abroad or (ii) any other documentation that the Department, by administrative rule, deems acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or service abroad. Defines "service abroad" to include, among other things, all active duty service in territories and possessions of the United States. Effective January 1, 2011.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-19 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB3071 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SB3071-Introduced.html

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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2009 and 2010 SB3071 Introduced 2/8/2010, by Sen. David Luechtefeld SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
20 ILCS 805/805-305 was 20 ILCS 805/63a23
515 ILCS 5/20-47
520 ILCS 5/3.1-4
Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Fish and Aquatic Life Code, and the Wildlife Code. Authorizes veterans who are applying for a free camping pass or fishing or hunting license to provide acceptable verification of service or mobilization by mail rather than only at the Department's office in Springfield. Defines "acceptable verification of service or mobilization" to mean (i) documentation from the Department of Defense, the appropriate major command, or a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces regarding dates of mobilization or service abroad or (ii) any other documentation that the Department, by administrative rule, deems acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or service abroad. Defines "service abroad" to include, among other things, all active duty service in territories and possessions of the United States. Effective January 1, 2011.
LRB096 20210 JDS 35781 b
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Department of Natural Resources
(Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
is amended by changing Section 805-305 as follows:
(20 ILCS 805/805-305) (was 20 ILCS 805/63a23)
Sec. 805-305. Campsites and housing facilities. The
Department has the power to provide facilities for overnight
tent and trailer camp sites and to provide suitable housing
facilities for student and juvenile overnight camping groups.
The Department of Natural Resources may regulate, by
administrative order, the fees to be charged for tent and
trailer camping units at individual park areas based upon the
facilities available. However, for campsites with access to
showers or electricity, any Illinois resident who is age 62 or
older or has a Class 2 disability as defined in Section 4A of
the Illinois Identification Card Act shall be charged only
one-half of the camping fee charged to the general public
during the period Monday through Thursday of any week and shall
be charged the same camping fee as the general public on all
other days. For campsites without access to showers or
electricity, no camping fee authorized by this Section shall be

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charged to any resident of Illinois who has a Class 2
disability as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois
Identification Card Act. For campsites without access to
showers or electricity, no camping fee authorized by this
Section shall be charged to any resident of Illinois who is age
62 or older for the use of a camp site unit during the period
Monday through Thursday of any week. No camping fee authorized
by this Section shall be charged to any resident of Illinois
who is a disabled veteran or a former prisoner of war, as
defined in Section 5 of the Department of Veterans Affairs Act.
No camping fee authorized by this Section shall be charged to
any resident of Illinois after returning from service abroad or
mobilization by the President of the United States as an active
duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois
National Guard, or the Reserves of the United States Armed
Forces for the amount of time that the active duty member spent
in service abroad or mobilized if the person (i) applies for a
pass at the Department office in Springfield within 2 years
after of returning and provides acceptable verification of
service or mobilization to the Department or (ii) applies for a
pass by mailing acceptable verification of service or
mobilization to the Department's Springfield office within 2
years after returning; any portion of a year that the active
duty member spent in service abroad or mobilized shall count as
a full year. Nonresidents shall be charged the same fees as are
authorized for the general public regardless of age. The

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Department shall provide by regulation for suitable proof of
age, or either a valid driver's license or a "Golden Age
Passport" issued by the federal government shall be acceptable
as proof of age. The Department shall further provide by
regulation that notice of these reduced admission fees be
posted in a conspicuous place and manner.
Reduced fees authorized in this Section shall not apply to
any charge for utility service.
For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable verification
of service or mobilization" means (i) documentation from the
Department of Defense, the appropriate major command, or a
commissioned officer of the Armed Forces regarding dates of
mobilization or service abroad or (ii) any other documentation
that the Department, by administrative rule, deems acceptable
to establish dates of mobilization or service abroad.
For the purposes of this Section, the term "service abroad"
means active duty service outside of the 50 United States and
the District of Columbia, and includes all active duty service
in territories and possessions of the United States.
(Source: P.A. 94-313, eff. 7-25-05.)
Section 10. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by
changing Section 20-47 as follows:
(515 ILCS 5/20-47)
Sec. 20-47. Military members returning from mobilization

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and service outside the United States.
(a) After returning from service abroad or mobilization by
the President of the United States as an active duty member of
the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or
the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces, an Illinois
resident may fish as permitted by this Code without paying any
fees required to obtain a fishing license for the time period
prescribed by subsection (b) of this Section if the Illinois
resident applies for a license within 2 years after of
returning from service abroad or mobilization. The applicant
shall provide acceptable verification of service or
mobilization to the Department either at the Department's
office in Springfield or by mailing his or her verification of
service or mobilization to the Department's Springfield
office.
(b) For each year that an applicant is an active duty
member pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the
applicant shall receive one free fishing license. For the
purposes of this determination, if the period of active duty is
a portion of a year (for example, one year and 3 months), the
applicant will be credited with a full year for the portion of
a year served.
(c) (Blank). The Department shall establish what
constitutes suitable verification of service or mobilization
under subsection (a) of this Section.
(d) For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable

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verification of service or mobilization" means (i)
documentation from the Department of Defense, the appropriate
major command, or a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces
regarding dates of mobilization or service abroad or (ii) any
other documentation that the Department may, by administrative
rule, deem acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or
service abroad.
(e) For the purposes of this Section, the term "service
abroad" means active duty service outside of the 50 United
States and the District of Columbia, and includes all active
duty service in territories and possessions of the United
States.
(Source: P.A. 94-313, eff. 7-25-05.)
Section 15. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
Section 3.1-4 as follows:
(520 ILCS 5/3.1-4)
Sec. 3.1-4. Military members returning from mobilization
and service outside the United States.
(a) After returning from service abroad or mobilization by
the President of the United States as an active duty member of
the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or
the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces, an Illinois
resident may hunt any of the species protected by Section 2.2
of this Code without paying any fees required to obtain a

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hunting license for the time period prescribed by subsection
(b) of this Section if the Illinois resident applies for a
license within 2 years after of returning from service abroad
or mobilization. The applicant shall provide acceptable
verification of service or mobilization to the Department
either at the Department's office in Springfield or by mailing
his or her proof of service to the Department's Springfield
office.
(b) For each year that an applicant is an active duty
member pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the
applicant shall receive one free hunting license, one free Deer
Hunting Permit as provided in Section 2.26 of this Code and
rules adopted pursuant to that Section, and one free State
Habitat Stamp. For the purposes of this determination, if the
period of active duty is a portion of a year (for example, one
year and 3 months), the applicant will be credited with a full
year for the portion of a year served.
(c) (Blank). The Department shall establish what
constitutes suitable verification of service or mobilization
under subsection (a) of this Section.
(d) For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable
verification of service or mobilization" means (i)
documentation from the Department of Defense, the appropriate
major command, or a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces
regarding dates of mobilization or service abroad or (ii) any
other documentation that the Department may, by administrative

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rule, deem acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or
service abroad.
(e) For the purposes of this Section, the term "service
abroad" means active duty service outside of the 50 United
States and the District of Columbia, and includes all active
duty service in territories and possessions of the United
States.
(Source: P.A. 94-313, eff. 7-25-05.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
1, 2011.