H*3255(Rat #0214, Act #0094)  General Bill, By J.J. Snow
 A Bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Article 2
 to Chapter 9, Title 50 so as to require the Wildlife and Marine Resources
 Department to establish a hunter education program for persons purchasing
 hunting licenses who were born after June 30, 1979, allow reciprocity for
 successful completion of comparable courses in other jurisdictions, provide
 for the issuance of lifetime hunting and lifetime combination licenses, and
 provide an exception to the requirement for completion of the program.-amended
 title

   01/26/93  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-6
   01/26/93  House  Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural
                     Resources and Environmental Affairs HJ-6
   04/22/93  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental
                     Affairs HJ-2
   04/29/93  House   Committee amendment rejected HJ-26
   04/29/93  House  Debate adjourned until Tuesday, May 4, 1993 HJ-27
   05/05/93  House  Amended HJ-31
   05/05/93  House  Read second time HJ-32
   05/06/93  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-9
   05/11/93  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-37
   05/11/93  Senate Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry SJ-37
   05/20/93  Senate Recalled from Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry
   05/20/93  Senate Amended SJ-20
   05/20/93  Senate Read second time SJ-20
   05/20/93  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-20
   05/21/93  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments SJ-1
   05/26/93  House  Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-33
   06/10/93         Ratified R 214
   06/14/93         Signed By Governor
   06/14/93         Effective date 07/01/95
   06/24/93         Copies available

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 2 TO CHAPTER 9, TITLE 50 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE WILDLIFE AND MARINE RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH A HUNTER EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PERSONS PURCHASING HUNTING LICENSES WHO WERE BORN AFTER JUNE 30, 1979, ALLOW RECIPROCITY FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF COMPARABLE COURSES IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF LIFETIME HUNTING AND LIFETIME COMBINATION LICENSES, AND PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Hunter Education Program

SECTION 1. Chapter 9, Title 50 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 2

Section 50-9-70. The South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department shall establish programs in instruction on the safe use of firearms and archery tackle for hunting and hunter responsibility. The programs must include, but are not limited to, the selection, training, and certification of instructors, appropriate course materials and content, and criteria for successful course completion. The department shall authorize the issuance of a certificate of completion to persons successfully completing the course.

Section 50-9-80. No resident or nonresident born after June 30, 1979, may obtain a hunting license in this State unless he first exhibits the certificate of completion he has received pursuant to Section 50-9-70 to the authorized hunting license agent from whom he desires to buy a license. A certificate of successful completion of a hunter's education program issued by other states or territories of the United States, Canadian provinces, or other nations is valid for purposes of this article if the department approves the course as comparable to the program required by this article. A license issued in violation of this section is invalid.

Section 50-9-90. Lifetime hunting and lifetime combination licenses may be issued to persons required to be certified who have not completed the hunter education program pursuant to Section 50-9-70. However, a license issued under this section does not authorize the person to hunt until the program is completed. The requirements of this section do not apply to persons who purchased a lifetime hunting or lifetime combination license before its effective date.

Section 50-9-100. A certificate of completion is not required for a hunting license to be used solely for hunting game on a specific shooting preserve of over ten thousand contiguous acres and including onsite hunting instruction and supervision provided for in Article 7, Chapter 11 of Title 50. A license issued under this section must be marked clearly by the authorized hunting license agent from which it is bought as being valid only on that specific preserve."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 1995.

Approved the 14th day of June, 1993.