1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to veterans; natural resources; providing certain free hunting and 
1.3 	fishing licenses and state park permits to eligible veterans of the current war on 
1.4 	terrorism; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.5 	Statutes, chapters 97A; 197.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [97A.467] VETERANS LIFETIME ELIGIBILITY.
1.8 	(a) In accordance with section 197.791, the commissioner must issue without fee 
1.9 	the annual hunting and fishing licenses and state park permits to persons certified by the 
1.10 	commissioner of veterans affairs as being eligible veterans.
1.11 	(b) An eligible veteran is not exempted from any applicable laws and rules governing 
1.12 	hunting and fishing licenses and state park permits, other than being exempted from all 
1.13 	fees for such licenses and permits.

1.14 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2006, and applies to hunting 
1.15 	and fishing licenses and state park permits issued on or after January 1, 2007.

1.16 	Sec. 2. [197.791] VETERANS REVITALIZATION OUTDOOR ACT.
1.17 		Subdivision 1.Short title. This section may be cited as the Veterans Revitalization 
1.18 	Outdoor Act of 2006.
1.19 		Subd. 2.Purpose. The state of Minnesota recognizes the sacrifices of Minnesota 
1.20 	residents who, as members of the United States armed forces, have served honorably 
1.21 	for an extended period of time directly in harm's way in the global war on terror, and 
1.22 	recognize that such veterans need and deserve the restorative health and wellness benefits 
2.1 	that result from the free and ongoing enjoyment of Minnesota's natural resources. The 
2.2 	purpose of this act is to provide such outdoor recreational benefits to those veterans.
2.3 		Subd. 3.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the 
2.4 	meanings assigned them. 
2.5 	(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of veterans affairs, unless otherwise 
2.6 	explicitly designated. 
2.7 	(c) "Veteran" has the meaning assigned in section 197.447. 
2.8 	(d) "Eligible veteran" means a veteran: 
2.9 	(1) who was a Minnesota resident at the time of initial entry into the United States 
2.10 	armed forces, as indicated by the person's military records; 
2.11 	(2) who, during the program eligibility period, is serving honorably in the United 
2.12 	States armed forces or has served honorably and been honorably separated or discharged 
2.13 	from the United States armed forces;  
2.14 	(3) who is eligible for or has been awarded the qualifying military medal, as 
2.15 	indicated by the person's Department of Defense form DD-214 or other discharge paper or 
2.16 	by a valid written statement from the person's current or former commanding officer; and 
2.17 	(4) whose combat service period meets any of the qualifying levels specified in 
2.18 	subdivision 5. 
2.19 	(e) "Program eligibility period" means the time period commencing on September 
2.20 	11, 2001, and terminating on a future date to be announced by the commissioner.
2.21 	(f) "Qualifying military medal" means: 
2.22 	(1) the Iraq Campaign Medal; 
2.23 	(2) the Afghanistan Campaign Medal; or 
2.24 	(3) the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal for the same type of service as 
2.25 	would qualify for either of those campaign medals. 
2.26 	(g) "Combat service period" means the cumulative number of days that the person 
2.27 	has spent on the land area of the nations of Iraq and Afghanistan or in the airspace above 
2.28 	those countries during the program eligibility period, while providing honorable service in 
2.29 	the United States armed forces. 
2.30 	(h) "Eligibility certificate" means a certificate issued by the commissioner under 
2.31 	subdivision 4, paragraph (c). 
2.32 		Subd. 4.Determination of eligibility; certificate. (a) The commissioner shall 
2.33 	determine each applicant's eligibility for the benefits under this section, including the 
2.34 	person's qualifying level, by reference to any of the following documents as may suffice 
2.35 	in the judgment of the commissioner: the person's Department of Defense form DD-214 
2.36 	discharge papers, annual fitness reports, valid written statement or statements from the 
3.1 	person's current or former commanding officer or officers, and any other information that 
3.2 	the commissioner may require to make a valid determination of the person's eligibility 
3.3 	under this section. 
3.4 	(b) A veteran may reapply for certification if the veteran has acquired more 
3.5 	qualifying service or has collected more information about the person's existing service. 
3.6 	(c) Upon determining an applicant's eligibility and qualifying benefit level, the 
3.7 	commissioner shall issue to each eligible veteran a certificate, in the size of the official 
3.8 	Minnesota driver's license, stating the person's name, current address, eligibility status, 
3.9 	qualifying benefit level, and any other information deemed necessary by the commissioner 
3.10 	to adequately control against fraud. 
3.11 	(d) The commissioner shall electronically certify each applicant's eligibility and 
3.12 	qualifying benefit level to the commissioner of natural resources in a timely manner 
3.13 	and in an ongoing basis. 
3.14 	(e) Data collected under this section is classified as public data on individuals in 
3.15 	accordance with section 13.02, subdivision 15.
3.16 		Subd. 5.Combat service period; qualifying levels. An eligible veteran's 
3.17 	qualifying benefit level is as follows: 
3.18 	(1) level 1, if the person's combat service period is at least 180 days but no more 
3.19 	than 270 days or, for a person who had been ordered to serve at least 180 days in Iraq 
3.20 	or Afghanistan, if the person had been medically evacuated from the country prior to 
3.21 	completion of that service; 
3.22 	(2) level 2, if the person's combat service period is more than 270 days, but no 
3.23 	more than 540 days; and 
3.24 	(3) level 3, if the person's combat service period is more than 540 days or the 
3.25 	person has been injured or wounded in action during hostilities in Iraq or Afghanistan, 
3.26 	as indicated by the person's receipt of the Purple Heart Medal, and has been medically 
3.27 	evacuated from the country as a result of that wounding.
3.28 		Subd. 6.Benefit options; entitlement. (a) The benefit options from which an 
3.29 	eligible veteran is entitled to choose include: 
3.30 	(1) an annual state park permit, as defined in section 85.053;
3.31 	(2) an annual resident small game hunting license, as authorized in chapter 97A; 
3.32 	(3) a resident firearms deer hunting license, as authorized in chapter 97A; 
3.33 	(4) a resident archery deer hunting license, as authorized in chapter 97A; and 
3.34 	(5) an annual resident angling license, as authorized in chapter 97A.
3.35 	 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of chapter 85, 86B, or 97A, upon proper 
3.36 	application, a person who has been certified by the commissioner as being an eligible 
4.1 	veteran is entitled to one or more of the benefit options specified in paragraph (a), as 
4.2 	follows: 
4.3 	(1) one option if the person's qualifying level equals one; 
4.4 	(2) two options if the person's qualifying level equals two; and 
4.5 	(3) three options if the person's qualifying level equals three. 
4.6 	(c) The entitlement under this section is for the eligible veteran's lifetime. 
4.7 	(d) Each year, an eligible veteran may request one or more of the benefit options 
4.8 	listed in paragraph (a), up to the person's qualifying level limit in paragraph (b). Within 
4.9 	those limitations, there is no restriction regarding which benefit option or options the 
4.10 	person may select in any given year. An eligible veteran does not lose eligibility by 
4.11 	declining in any year or in any number of years to select any or all benefit options to 
4.12 	which the person is entitled. An eligible veteran who declines to select one or more 
4.13 	benefit options in one year may not compensate in any subsequent year by selecting more 
4.14 	benefit options than the person is entitled to based on the person's qualifying benefit 
4.15 	level. An eligible veteran is not entitled to exchange any benefit option for any other 
4.16 	benefit option during any year. An eligible veteran may not transfer any benefit option to 
4.17 	another person at any time. 
4.18 	(e) A person who has been certified by the commissioner as being an eligible 
4.19 	veteran may apply for the benefits under this section in a manner as determined by the 
4.20 	commissioner of natural resources under the authority provided in section 97A.467. 
4.21 	Separate application is required for each license or permit requested if the person is 
4.22 	entitled to more than one. 
4.23 	(f) The commissioner shall notify applicants that fraudulent application or violation 
4.24 	of laws or rules regulating hunting, fishing, and park privileges may result in the 
4.25 	permanent withdrawal of the eligibility certificate.

4.26 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2006, and applies to licenses 
4.27 	and permits issued on or after January 1, 2007.

4.28 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
 4.29 	$........ is appropriated from the general fund for fiscal year 2007 and is available 
4.30 	until expended, as follows: 
4.31 	(1) $....... to the commissioner of natural resources for the cost of the licenses and 
4.32 	permits issued under section 1; and 
4.33 	(2) $....... to the commissioner of veterans affairs for implementing the program in 
4.34 	section 2.

5.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2006.