Hunting and sport fishing licenses: reduced fees.

Senators Dahle and Allen propose expanding access to reduced-fee hunting and fishing licenses through new eligibility criteria and documentation requirements for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The legislation establishes a $4 base fee for qualifying individuals who participate in specified public assistance programs and have not violated Fish and Game Code provisions.

Under the measure, applicants must demonstrate enrollment in qualifying programs such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, Tribal TANF, or other specified assistance initiatives. The Department must verify documentation before issuing reduced-fee licenses. The bill also maintains existing reduced-fee eligibility for disabled veterans, recovering service members, and seniors over 65 who receive certain benefits.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife would implement annual fee adjustments aligned with existing protocols while enforcing documentation standards to verify eligibility. The measure adds these requirements to both hunting and sport fishing license programs, creating parallel reduced-fee structures across both license types.