1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to game and fish; allowing nonresidents under 
  1.3             age 16 to take small game under certain conditions; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, sections 97A.015, by 
  1.5             adding a subdivision; 97A.451, by adding a 
  1.6             subdivision; 97B.021, subdivision 1; and Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 97A.451, subdivision 
  1.8             3. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.015, is 
  1.11  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 25a.  [GUARDIAN.] "Guardian" means a legal guardian 
  1.13  of a person or a person age 18 or older who has been authorized 
  1.14  by the parent or legal guardian to supervise the person. 
  1.15     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  1.16  97A.451, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.17     Subd. 3.  [PERSONS RESIDENTS UNDER AGE 16; SMALL GAME.] (a) 
  1.18  A person resident under age 16 may not obtain a small game 
  1.19  license but may take small game by firearms or bow and arrow 
  1.20  without a license if the person is a resident is: 
  1.21     (1) age 14 or 15 and possesses a firearms safety 
  1.22  certificate; 
  1.23     (2) age 13, possesses a firearms safety certificate, and is 
  1.24  accompanied by a parent or guardian; or 
  1.25     (3) age 12 or under and is accompanied by a parent or 
  1.26  guardian.  
  1.27     (b) A resident under age 16 may take small game by trapping 
  2.1   without a small game license, but a resident 13 years of age or 
  2.2   older must have a trapping license.  A resident under age 13 may 
  2.3   trap without a trapping license.  
  2.4      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97A.451, is 
  2.5   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.6      Subd. 3a.  [NONRESIDENTS UNDER AGE 16; SMALL GAME.] (a) A 
  2.7   nonresident under age 16 may obtain a small game license at the 
  2.8   resident fee if the nonresident: 
  2.9      (1) possesses a firearm safety certificate or equivalent 
  2.10  document issued by the state of residence; or 
  2.11     (2) if age 13 or under, is accompanied by a parent or 
  2.12  guardian when purchasing the license. 
  2.13     (b) A nonresident under age 13 must be accompanied by a 
  2.14  parent or guardian to take small game. 
  2.15     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 97B.021, 
  2.16  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.17     Subdivision 1.  [RESTRICTIONS.] (a) Except as provided in 
  2.18  this subdivision, a person under the age of 16 may not possess a 
  2.19  firearm, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.  
  2.20     (b) A person under age 16 may possess a firearm without 
  2.21  being accompanied by a parent or guardian: 
  2.22     (1) on land owned by, or occupied as the principal 
  2.23  residence of, the person or the person's parent or guardian; 
  2.24     (2) while participating in an organized target shooting 
  2.25  program with adult supervision; 
  2.26     (3) while the person is participating in a firearms safety 
  2.27  program or traveling to and from class; or 
  2.28     (4) if the person is age 14 or 15 and has a firearms safety 
  2.29  certificate. 
  2.30     (c) For purposes of this section a guardian is a legal 
  2.31  guardian or a person age 18 or older that has been authorized by 
  2.32  the parent or legal guardian to supervise the person under age 
  2.33  16.