1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to game and fish; providing a free deer 
  1.3             license to certain landowners to use on their land; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 97A.441, 
  1.5             subdivision 7. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 97A.441, 
  1.8   subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 7.  [OWNERS OR TENANTS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND.] (a) The 
  1.10  commissioner ~~may~~ shall issue, without ~~an additional~~ a fee, a 
  1.11  license to take ~~additional~~ a deer ~~with firearms under section~~ 
  1.12  ~~97B.301, subdivision 4,~~ of either sex to a person who is an 
  1.13  owner or tenant and ~~lives~~ is living and actively farming on at 
  1.14  least ~~ten~~ 80 acres of agricultural land, as defined in section 
  1.15  97B.001, in ~~an area where the commissioner has made these~~ 
  1.16  ~~licenses available.  Landowners and tenants applying for a~~ 
  1.17  ~~license under this subdivision must receive preference over~~ 
  1.18  ~~other applicants for the licenses~~ deer permit areas that have 
  1.19  deer archery licenses to take additional deer under section 
  1.20  97B.301, subdivision 4.  A person may receive only one license 
  1.21  per year under this subdivision.  For properties with coowners 
  1.22  or cotenants, only one coowner or cotenant may receive a license 
  1.23  under this subdivision per year.  The license issued under this 
  1.24  subdivision is restricted to the land owned or leased by the 
  1.25  holder of the license within the permit area where the 
  2.1   qualifying land is located.  The holder of the license may 
  2.2   transfer the license to the holder's spouse or dependent.  
  2.3   Notwithstanding sections 97A.415, subdivision 1, and 97B.301, 
  2.4   subdivision 2, the holder of the license may purchase an 
  2.5   additional license for taking deer and may take an additional 
  2.6   deer under that license. 
  2.7      (b) ~~Persons~~ A person who ~~obtain~~ obtains a license under 
  2.8   paragraph (a) must allow public deer hunting on their land 
  2.9   during that deer hunting season, with the exception of the first 
  2.10  Saturday and Sunday during the deer hunting season applicable to 
  2.11  the license issued under section 97A.475, subdivision 2, clause 
  2.12  (4).