| Passed by the Senate April 18, 2009 YEAS 44 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House April 7, 2009 YEAS 98 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5008 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. THOMAS HOEMANN ________________________________________ Secretary | |
| Approved April 29, 2009, 10:06 a.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | April 29, 2009 Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2009 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/12/09. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.
AN ACT Relating to hunting licensing requirements for members of the military; and amending RCW 77.32.155.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 77.32.155 and 2007 c 163 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1)(a) When purchasing any hunting license, persons under the age
of eighteen shall present certification of completion of a course of
instruction of at least ten hours in the safe handling of firearms,
safety, conservation, and sportsmanship. All persons purchasing any
hunting license for the first time, if born after January 1, 1972,
shall present such certification.
(b)(i) The director may establish a program for training persons in
the safe handling of firearms, conservation, and sportsmanship and
shall prescribe the type of instruction and the qualifications of the
instructors. The director shall, as part of establishing the training
program, exempt members of the United States military from the firearms
skills portion of any instruction course completed over the internet.
(ii) The director may cooperate with the National Rifle
Association, organized sportsmen's groups, or other public or private
organizations when establishing the training program.
(c) Upon the successful completion of a course established under
this section, the trainee shall receive a hunter education certificate
signed by an authorized instructor. The certificate is evidence of
compliance with this section.
(d) The director may accept certificates from other states that
persons have successfully completed firearm safety, hunter education,
or similar courses as evidence of compliance with this section.
(2)(a) The director may authorize a once in a lifetime, one license
year deferral of hunter education training for individuals who are
accompanied by a nondeferred Washington-licensed hunter who has held a
Washington hunting license for the prior three years and is over
eighteen years of age. The commission shall adopt rules for the
administration of this subsection to avoid potential fraud and abuse.
(b) The director is authorized to collect an application fee, not
to exceed twenty dollars, for obtaining the once in a lifetime, one
license year deferral of hunter education training from the department.
This fee must be deposited into the fish and wildlife enforcement
reward account and must be used exclusively to administer the deferral
program created in this subsection.
(c) For the purposes of this subsection, "accompanied" means to go
along with another person while staying within a range of the other
person that permits continual unaided visual and auditory
communication.
(3) To encourage the participation of an adequate number of
instructors for the training program, the commission shall develop
nonmonetary incentives available to individuals who commit to serving
as an instructor. The incentives may include additional hunting
opportunities for instructors.