07 HB
81/AP
House
Bill 81 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By:
Representatives Hill of the
180th,
Lane of the
158th,
Barnard of the
166th,
Burns of the
157th,
Williams of the
165th,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to game and
fish, so as to change certain provisions relating to definitions; to provide for
veterans´ lifetime sportsman´s licenses and fees therefor; to change
certain provisions relating to charter fishing guide and pier fishing licenses,
fees, and maintenance of records; to provide for new licenses relative to salt
water fishing; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Title
27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to game and fish, is
amended by adding to Code Section 27-1-2, relating to definitions, new
paragraphs to read as follows:
"(61.1)
'Salt water fishing guide' means a person engaged in the occupation of taking
fee-paying anglers fishing in the salt waters of this state.
(61.2)
'Salt water fishing pier' means a permanent structure built and maintained for
the purpose of providing fishing access in the salt waters of this state and
associated with a hotel or motel."
SECTION
1A.
Said
title is further amended by revising subsections (e) and (f) of Code Section
27-2-3.1, relating to archery and primitive weapons hunting licenses, all
weapons hunting licenses, sportsmen´s licenses, license card carrier
requirements, and creation of lifetime sportsman´s licenses, as
follows:
"(e)(1)
The requirements in this title for procuring any license, stamp, or permit for
noncommercial hunting and fishing privileges shall be satisfied by a resident or
nonresident who procures a lifetime sportsman´s license.
(2)
An applicant for such license who is a resident shall, prior to the issuance of
the license, provide satisfactory evidence of residency.
(3)
An applicant for a veteran´s lifetime sportsman´s license shall, in
addition to satisfactory evidence of residency, be required to provide
satisfactory evidence that he or she served more than 90 days of federal active
duty military service and was honorably discharged.
(4)
An applicant for such license who is a nonresident shall not be eligible for
issuance of such license unless he or she is under 16 years of age and is the
grandchild of a resident who holds a valid paid lifetime sportsman´s
license. The resident grandparent who holds such a lifetime sportsman´s
license and who is the sponsor of a nonresident applicant for a lifetime
sportsman´s license must certify the nonresident applicant´s
relationship to him or her in writing to the department.
(5)
For purposes of procuring a lifetime sportsman´s license, the term
'residency' means a domicile within Georgia for a minimum of 12 consecutive
months immediately prior to procuring such license. Satisfactory evidence of
residency shall consist of a current Georgia driver´s license or official
Georgia identification card issued by the Department of Driver Services and at
least one of the following:
(1)(A)
A voter registration card;
(2)(B)
A copy of the prior year´s Georgia income tax return;
(3)(C)
A current Georgia automobile registration; or
(4)(D)
A warranty deed to property at the same address as is displayed on the Georgia
driver´s license.
Minors
under 18 years of age shall be presumed to be residents upon proof of
parent´s residency as provided for in this Code section. For purposes of
procuring the Type I (Infant) lifetime license, a certified copy of the birth
certificate of the licensee shall be required.
(f)(1)
Lifetime sportsman´s licenses and fees for residents shall be as follows:
(A)
Type I (Infant), available only to those individuals under two years of age:
$200.00;
(B)
Type Y (Youth), available only to those individuals from two through 15 years of
age: $350.00;
(C)
Type A (Adult), available to those individuals 16 years of age or older:
$500.00;
(D)
Type SD (Senior Discount), available to those individuals 60 years of age or
older: $95.00;
and
(E)
Type S (Senior), available to those individuals 65 years of age or older: no
charge;
and
(F)
Type V (Veterans), available only to those individuals who served more than 90
days of federal active duty military service and were honorably discharged:
eighty percent of the amount of the fee specified for Type A lifetime
sportsman´s licenses in subparagraph (C) of this
paragraph."
SECTION
2.
Said
title is further amended by revising Code Section 27-2-23.2, relating to charter
fishing guide and pier fishing licenses, fees, and maintenance of records, as
follows:
"27-2-23.2.
(a)
Any United
States Coast Guard licensed captain operating a charter fishing vessel and any
person operating a hotel or motel having a fishing pier or piers may purchase
one fishing license pursuant to the provisions of this Code section covering all
persons fishing from such vessel or pier.
It shall be
unlawful for any person to engage in the occupation of salt water fishing guide
without holding a valid annual salt water fishing guide license pursuant to the
provisions of this Code section.
(b)(1)
A salt water fishing guide who possesses a valid United States Coast Guard
operator of passenger vessel license may purchase an annual customer fishing
license pursuant to the provisions of this Code section, which license shall
cover all fee-paying anglers while fishing with such guide during the license
year; and all such anglers while so covered shall be exempt from fishing license
requirements otherwise applicable under this title.
(2)
Any person operating a single hotel or motel facility having a salt water
fishing pier or piers may purchase an annual salt water fishing pier license
pursuant to the provisions of this Code section, which license shall cover all
anglers while fishing from such salt water fishing pier during the license year;
and all such anglers while so covered shall be exempt from fishing license
requirements otherwise applicable under this title.
(b)
Fees for
charter
fishing and pier licenses
required under
this Code section shall
be $400.00
per year for each vessel and $400.00 per year for all piers operated by any one
hotel or motel.
as
follows:
(1)(A)
Resident salt water fishing guide license, $25.00;
(B)
Nonresident salt water fishing guide license, $50.00;
(2)(A)(i)
Customer fishing license for a resident salt water fishing guide carrying six or
fewer fee-paying anglers, $150.00;
(ii)
Customer fishing license for a resident salt water fishing guide carrying an
unlimited number of fee-paying anglers, $400.00;
(B)
Customer fishing license for a nonresident salt water fishing guide, $400.00;
and
(3)
Salt water fishing pier license, $400.00.
(c)
Each
operator of a charter fishing vessel or pier licensed pursuant to this Code
section shall maintain at all times a log book showing the names of persons
accommodated under the vessel or pier fishing license each day and such other
information as may be required by the department.
(d)
Each person
required to
maintain records
who holds a
salt water fishing guide license or salt water fishing pier
license pursuant to the provisions of
subsection
(c) of this Code section shall report
such information
as required by
the department at such times and in such
manner as the board provides by rule or regulation."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.