BILL REQ. #:  S-3782.1 

Read first time 01/16/2004.   Referred to Committee on Parks, Fish & Wildlife.

     AN ACT Relating to youth hunting licenses; and amending RCW 77.08.010, 77.32.350, 77.32.370, 77.32.450, 77.32.460, and 77.32.480.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 77.08.010 and 2003 c 387 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     As used in this title or rules adopted under this title, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
     (1) "Director" means the director of fish and wildlife.
     (2) "Department" means the department of fish and wildlife.
     (3) "Commission" means the state fish and wildlife commission.
     (4) "Person" means and includes an individual; a corporation; a public or private entity or organization; a local, state, or federal agency; all business organizations, including corporations and partnerships; or a group of two or more individuals acting with a common purpose whether acting in an individual, representative, or official capacity.
     (5) "Fish and wildlife officer" means a person appointed and commissioned by the director, with authority to enforce this title and rules adopted pursuant to this title, and other statutes as prescribed by the legislature. Fish and wildlife officer includes a person commissioned before June 11, 1998, as a wildlife agent or a fisheries patrol officer.
     (6) "Ex officio fish and wildlife officer" means a commissioned officer of a municipal, county, state, or federal agency having as its primary function the enforcement of criminal laws in general, while the officer is in the appropriate jurisdiction. The term "ex officio fish and wildlife officer" includes special agents of the national marine fisheries service, state parks commissioned officers, United States fish and wildlife special agents, department of natural resources enforcement officers, and United States forest service officers, while the agents and officers are within their respective jurisdictions.
     (7) "To hunt" and its derivatives means an effort to kill, injure, capture, or harass a wild animal or wild bird.
     (8) "To trap" and its derivatives means a method of hunting using devices to capture wild animals or wild birds.
     (9) "To fish," "to harvest," and "to take," and their derivatives means an effort to kill, injure, harass, or catch a fish or shellfish.
     (10) "Open season" means those times, manners of taking, and places or waters established by rule of the commission for the lawful hunting, fishing, taking, or possession of game animals, game birds, game fish, food fish, or shellfish that conform to the special restrictions or physical descriptions established by rule of the commission or that have otherwise been deemed legal to hunt, fish, take, harvest, or possess by rule of the commission. "Open season" includes the first and last days of the established time.
     (11) "Closed season" means all times, manners of taking, and places or waters other than those established by rule of the commission as an open season. "Closed season" also means all hunting, fishing, taking, or possession of game animals, game birds, game fish, food fish, or shellfish that do not conform to the special restrictions or physical descriptions established by rule of the commission as an open season or that have not otherwise been deemed legal to hunt, fish, take, harvest, or possess by rule of the commission as an open season.
     (12) "Closed area" means a place where the hunting of some or all species of wild animals or wild birds is prohibited.
     (13) "Closed waters" means all or part of a lake, river, stream, or other body of water, where fishing or harvesting is prohibited.
     (14) "Game reserve" means a closed area where hunting for all wild animals and wild birds is prohibited.
     (15) "Bag limit" means the maximum number of game animals, game birds, or game fish which may be taken, caught, killed, or possessed by a person, as specified by rule of the commission for a particular period of time, or as to size, sex, or species.
     (16) "Wildlife" means all species of the animal kingdom whose members exist in Washington in a wild state. This includes but is not limited to mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. The term "wildlife" does not include feral domestic mammals, old world rats and mice of the family Muridae of the order Rodentia, or those fish, shellfish, and marine invertebrates classified as food fish or shellfish by the director. The term "wildlife" includes all stages of development and the bodily parts of wildlife members.
     (17) "Wild animals" means those species of the class Mammalia whose members exist in Washington in a wild state and the species Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog). The term "wild animal" does not include feral domestic mammals or old world rats and mice of the family Muridae of the order Rodentia.
     (18) "Wild birds" means those species of the class Aves whose members exist in Washington in a wild state.
     (19) "Protected wildlife" means wildlife designated by the commission that shall not be hunted or fished.
     (20) "Endangered species" means wildlife designated by the commission as seriously threatened with extinction.
     (21) "Game animals" means wild animals that shall not be hunted except as authorized by the commission.
     (22) "Fur-bearing animals" means game animals that shall not be trapped except as authorized by the commission.
     (23) "Game birds" means wild birds that shall not be hunted except as authorized by the commission.
     (24) "Predatory birds" means wild birds that may be hunted throughout the year as authorized by the commission.
     (25) "Deleterious exotic wildlife" means species of the animal kingdom not native to Washington and designated as dangerous to the environment or wildlife of the state.
     (26) "Game farm" means property on which wildlife is held or raised for commercial purposes, trade, or gift. The term "game farm" does not include publicly owned facilities.
     (27) "Person of disability" means a permanently disabled person who is not ambulatory without the assistance of a wheelchair, crutches, or similar devices.
     (28) "Fish" includes all species classified as game fish or food fish by statute or rule, as well as all fin fish not currently classified as food fish or game fish if such species exist in state waters. The term "fish" includes all stages of development and the bodily parts of fish species.
     (29) "Raffle" means an activity in which tickets bearing an individual number are sold for not more than twenty-five dollars each and in which a permit or permits are awarded to hunt or for access to hunt big game animals or wild turkeys on the basis of a drawing from the tickets by the person or persons conducting the raffle.
     (30) "Youth" means a person fifteen years old for fishing and under ((sixteen)) eighteen years old for hunting.
     (31) "Senior" means a person seventy years old or older.
     (32) "License year" means the period of time for which a recreational license is valid. The license year begins April 1st, and ends March 31st.
     (33) "Saltwater" means those marine waters seaward of river mouths.
     (34) "Freshwater" means all waters not defined as saltwater including, but not limited to, rivers upstream of the river mouth, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.
     (35) "State waters" means all marine waters and fresh waters within ordinary high water lines and within the territorial boundaries of the state.
     (36) "Offshore waters" means marine waters of the Pacific Ocean outside the territorial boundaries of the state, including the marine waters of other states and countries.
     (37) "Concurrent waters of the Columbia river" means those waters of the Columbia river that coincide with the Washington-Oregon state boundary.
     (38) "Resident" means a person who has maintained a permanent place of abode within the state for at least ninety days immediately preceding an application for a license, has established by formal evidence an intent to continue residing within the state, and who is not licensed to hunt or fish as a resident in another state.
     (39) "Nonresident" means a person who has not fulfilled the qualifications of a resident.
     (40) "Shellfish" means those species of marine and freshwater invertebrates that have been classified and that shall not be taken except as authorized by rule of the commission. The term "shellfish" includes all stages of development and the bodily parts of shellfish species.
     (41) "Commercial" means related to or connected with buying, selling, or bartering.
     (42) "To process" and its derivatives mean preparing or preserving fish, wildlife, or shellfish.
     (43) "Personal use" means for the private use of the individual taking the fish or shellfish and not for sale or barter.
     (44) "Angling gear" means a line attached to a rod and reel capable of being held in hand while landing the fish or a hand-held line operated without rod or reel.
     (45) "Fishery" means the taking of one or more particular species of fish or shellfish with particular gear in a particular geographical area.
     (46) "Limited-entry license" means a license subject to a license limitation program established in chapter 77.70 RCW.
     (47) "Seaweed" means marine aquatic plant species that are dependent upon the marine aquatic or tidal environment, and exist in either an attached or free floating form, and includes but is not limited to marine aquatic plants in the classes Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, and Rhodophyta.
     (48) "Trafficking" means offering, attempting to engage, or engaging in sale, barter, or purchase of fish, shellfish, wildlife, or deleterious exotic wildlife.
     (49) "Invasive species" means a plant species or a nonnative animal species that either:
     (a) Causes or may cause displacement of, or otherwise threatens, native species in their natural communities;
     (b) Threatens or may threaten natural resources or their use in the state;
     (c) Causes or may cause economic damage to commercial or recreational activities that are dependent upon state waters; or
     (d) Threatens or harms human health.
     (50) "Prohibited aquatic animal species" means an invasive species of the animal kingdom that has been classified as a prohibited aquatic animal species by the commission.
     (51) "Regulated aquatic animal species" means a potentially invasive species of the animal kingdom that has been classified as a regulated aquatic animal species by the commission.
     (52) "Unregulated aquatic animal species" means a nonnative animal species that has been classified as an unregulated aquatic animal species by the commission.
     (53) "Unlisted aquatic animal species" means a nonnative animal species that has not been classified as a prohibited aquatic animal species, a regulated aquatic animal species, or an unregulated aquatic animal species by the commission.
     (54) "Aquatic plant species" means an emergent, submersed, partially submersed, free-floating, or floating-leaving plant species that grows in or near a body of water or wetland.
     (55) "Retail-eligible species" means commercially harvested salmon, crab, and sturgeon.

Sec. 2   RCW 77.32.350 and 2002 c 283 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     In addition to a small game hunting license, a supplemental permit or stamp is required for all persons eighteen years old or older to hunt for western Washington pheasant or migratory birds.
     (1) A western Washington pheasant permit is required to hunt for pheasant in western Washington. Western Washington pheasant permits must contain numbered spaces for recording the location and date of harvest of each western Washington pheasant.
     (2) The permit shall be available as a season option((, a youth full season option,)) or a three-day option. The fee for this permit is:
     (a) For the resident and nonresident full season option, thirty-six dollars;
     (b) For ((the youth full season option)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480, eighteen dollars;
     (c) For the three-day option, twenty dollars.
     (3) A migratory bird validation is required for all persons ((sixteen)) eighteen years of age or older to hunt migratory birds. The fee for the validation for hunters is ten dollars for residents and nonresidents. The fee for the stamp for collectors is ten dollars.
     (4) The migratory bird license must be validated at the time of signature of the licensee.

Sec. 3   RCW 77.32.370 and 1998 c 191 s 26 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A special hunting season permit is required to hunt in each special season established under chapter 77.12 RCW.
     (2) Persons may apply for special hunting season permits as provided by rule of the commission.
     (3) The application fee to enter the drawing for a special hunting permit is five dollars for residents eighteen years old or older, fifty dollars for nonresidents eighteen years old or older, and three dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.

Sec. 4   RCW 77.32.450 and 2000 c 109 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A big game hunting license is required for all persons eighteen years old or older to hunt for big game. A big game license allows the holder to hunt for forest grouse, unclassified wildlife, and the individual species identified within a specific big game combination license package. Each big game license includes one transport tag for each species purchased in that package. A hunter may not purchase more than one license for each big game species except as authorized by rule of the commission. The fees for annual big game combination packages are as follows:
     (a) Big game number 1: Deer, elk, bear, and cougar. The fee for this license is sixty-six dollars for residents, six hundred sixty dollars for nonresidents, and thirty-three dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (b) Big game number 2: Deer and elk. The fee for this license is fifty-six dollars for residents, five hundred sixty dollars for nonresidents, and twenty-eight dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (c) Big game number 3: Deer or elk, bear, and cougar. At the time of purchase, the holder must identify either deer or elk. The fee for this license is forty-six dollars for residents, four hundred sixty dollars for nonresidents, and twenty-three dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (d) Big game number 4: Deer or elk. At the time of purchase, the holder must identify either deer or elk. The fee for this license is thirty-six dollars for residents, three hundred sixty dollars for nonresidents, and eighteen dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (e) Big game number 5: Bear and cougar. The fee for this license is twenty dollars for residents, two hundred dollars for nonresidents, and ten dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (2) In the event that the commission authorizes a two animal big game limit, the fees for the second animal are as follows:
     (a) Elk: The fee is twenty dollars for residents, two hundred dollars for nonresidents, and ten dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (b) Deer: The fee is twenty dollars for residents, two hundred dollars for nonresidents, and ten dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (c) Bear: The fee is ten dollars for residents, one hundred dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (d) Cougar: The fee is ten dollars for residents, one hundred dollars for nonresidents, and five dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (3) In the event that the commission authorizes a special permit hunt for goat, sheep, or moose, the permit fees are as follows:
     (a) Mountain goat: The fee is one hundred dollars for residents, one thousand dollars for nonresidents, and fifty dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (b) Sheep: The fee is one hundred dollars for residents, one thousand dollars for nonresidents, and fifty dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (c) Moose: The fee is one hundred dollars for residents, one thousand dollars for nonresidents, and fifty dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     Authorization to hunt the species set out under subsection (3)(a) through (c) of this section is by special permit identified under RCW 77.32.370.
     (4) The commission may adopt rules to reduce the price of a license or eliminate the transportation tag requirements concerning bear or cougar when necessary to meet harvest objectives.

Sec. 5   RCW 77.32.460 and 2000 c 109 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A small game hunting license is required for all persons eighteen years old or older to hunt for all classified wild animals and wild birds, except big game. A small game license also allows the holder to hunt for unclassified wildlife. The small game license includes one transport tag for turkey.
     (a) The fee for this license is thirty dollars for residents, one hundred fifty dollars for nonresidents, and fifteen dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (b) The fee for this license if purchased in conjunction with a big game combination license package is sixteen dollars for residents, eighty dollars for nonresidents, and eight dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.
     (c) The fee for a three-consecutive-day small game license is fifty dollars for nonresidents.
     (2) The fee for each additional turkey tag is eighteen dollars for residents, sixty dollars for nonresidents, and nine dollars for ((youth)) reduced rate licenses issued under RCW 77.32.480.

Sec. 6   RCW 77.32.480 and 1998 c 191 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:
     All hunting licenses shall, upon written application, be issued at the reduced rate ((of a youth hunting license fee)) specified in RCW 77.32.350, 77.32.370, 77.32.450, and 77.32.460 for the following individuals:
     (1) A resident sixty-five years old or older who is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces having a service-connected disability;
     (2) Residents who are honorably discharged veterans of the United States armed forces with a thirty percent or more service-connected disability; and
     (3) An honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces who is a resident and is confined to a wheelchair.