SB 3537

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Full Text of SB3537
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	SB3537 - 104th General Assembly
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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3537
Introduced 2/5/2026, by Sen. Chapin Rose
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
515 ILCS 5/20-45	  from Ch. 56, par. 20-45
Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Provides that the fee for a license for a resident of the State for sport fishing devices or spearing devices is $14.50 for individuals 18 to 64 years old (rather than $14.50 for individuals 16 to 64 years old). Provides that no fee for a license or a 3-year license shall be charged to residents under 18 years old or residents 65 years old or older (rather than one-half of the fee shall be charged to residents 65 years old or older). Deletes provisions regarding fees for residents 75 years old or older. Further provides that no fee for lifetime licenses shall be charged to residents 65 years old or older.
LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
A BILL FOR
		SB3537		LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    AN ACT concerning fish.
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4    Section 5. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by
5changing Section 20-45 as follows:
6    (515 ILCS 5/20-45)  (from Ch. 56, par. 20-45)
7    Sec. 20-45. License fees for residents. Fees for licenses
8for residents of the State of Illinois shall be as follows:
9        (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for
10    sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
11    spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, the fee is
12    $14.50 for individuals 18 [16] to 64 years old[, one-half of ]
13    [the current fishing license fee for individuals age 65 or ]
14    [older,] and, commencing with the 2012 license year,
15    one-half of the current fishing license fee for resident
16    veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
17    from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
18    the United States as an active duty member of the United
19    States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the
20    Reserves of the United States Armed Forces. Veterans must
21    provide to the Department acceptable verification of their
22    service. The Department shall establish by administrative
23    rule the procedure by which such verification of service
		SB3537	- 2 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    shall be made to the Department for the purpose of issuing
2    fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee. No 
3    fee under this subsection (a) shall be charged to 
4    residents under 18 years old or residents 65 years old or 
5    older.
6        (a-3) Except as otherwise provided in this Section,
7    for sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or
8    spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, residents
9    of this State may obtain a 3-year fishing license. The fee
10    for a 3-year fishing license is 3 times the annual fee. No 
11    fee under this subsection (a-3) shall be charged to 
12    residents under 18 years old or residents 65 years old or 
13    older. [For residents age 65 or older, the fee is one half ]
14    [of the fee charged for a 3-year fishing license.] For
15    resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces after
16    returning from service abroad or mobilization by the
17    President of the United States, the fee is one-half of the
18    fee charged for a 3-year fishing license. Veterans must
19    provide to the Department, per administrative rule,
20    verification of their service. The Department shall
21    establish what constitutes suitable verification of
22    service for the purpose of issuing 3-year fishing licenses
23    to resident veterans at a reduced fee.
24        (a-5) (Blank). [The fee for all sport fishing licenses ]
25    [shall be $1 for an annual license and 3 times the annual ]
26    [fee for a 3-year license for residents over 75 years of ]
		SB3537	- 3 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    [age.]
2        (b) All residents before using any commercial fishing
3    device shall obtain a commercial fishing license, the fee
4    for which shall be $60, and a resident fishing license,
5    the fee for which is $14.50. Each and every commercial
6    device used shall be licensed by a resident commercial
7    fisherman as follows:
8            (1) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction
9        thereof, of seine the fee is $18. For each minnow
10        seine, minnow trap, or net for commercial purposes the
11        fee is $20.
12            (2) For each device to fish with a 100 hook trot
13        line device, basket trap, hoop net, or dip net the fee
14        is $3.
15            (3) When used in the waters of Lake Michigan, for
16        the first 2000 lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of
17        gill net the fee is $10; and for each 1000 additional
18        lineal feet, or fraction thereof, the fee is $10.
19        These fees shall apply to all gill nets in use in the
20        water or on drying reels on the shore.
21            (4) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction
22        thereof, of gill net or trammel net the fee is $18.
23        (c) Residents of this State may obtain a sportsmen's
24    combination license that shall entitle the holder to the
25    same non-commercial fishing privileges as residents
26    holding a license as described in subsection (a) of this
		SB3537	- 4 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    Section and to the same hunting privileges as residents
2    holding a license to hunt all species as described in
3    Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No sportsmen's
4    combination license shall be issued to any individual who
5    would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting
6    license separately. The sportsmen's combination license
7    fee shall be $25.50. For residents age 65 or older, the fee
8    is one-half of the fee charged for a sportsmen's
9    combination license. For resident veterans of the United
10    States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or
11    mobilization by the President of the United States as an
12    active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the
13    Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United
14    States Armed Forces, the fee, commencing with the 2012
15    license year, is one-half of the fee charged for a
16    sportsmen's combination license. Veterans must provide to
17    the Department acceptable verification of their service.
18    The Department shall establish by administrative rule the
19    procedure by which such verification of service shall be
20    made to the Department for the purpose of issuing
21    sportsmen's combination licenses to resident veterans at a
22    reduced fee.
23        (c-5) Residents of this State may obtain a 3-year
24    sportsmen's combination license that shall entitle the
25    holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as
26    residents holding a license as described in subsection
		SB3537	- 5 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    (a-3) and to the same hunting privileges as residents
2    holding a license to hunt all species as described in
3    Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. A 3-year sportsmen's
4    combination license shall not be issued to any individual
5    who would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting
6    license separately. The 3-year sportsmen's combination
7    license fee shall be 3 times the annual fee. For residents
8    age 65 or older, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for
9    a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. For resident
10    veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning
11    from service abroad or mobilization by the President of
12    the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged
13    for a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. Veterans
14    must provide to the Department, per administrative rule,
15    verification of their service. The Department shall
16    establish what constitutes suitable verification of
17    service for the purpose of issuing 3-year sportsmen's
18    combination licenses to resident veterans at a reduced
19    fee.
20        (d) For 24 hours of fishing by sport fishing devices
21    as defined in Section 10-95 or by spearing devices as
22    defined in Section 10-110 the fee is $5. This license does
23    not exempt the licensee from the requirement for a salmon
24    or inland trout stamp. The licenses provided for by this
25    subsection are not required for residents of the State of
26    Illinois who have obtained the license provided for in
		SB3537	- 6 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    subsection (a) or (a-3) of this Section.
2        (e) All residents before using any commercial mussel
3    device shall obtain a commercial mussel license, the fee
4    for which shall be $50.
5        (f) Residents of this State, upon establishing
6    residency as required by the Department, may obtain a
7    lifetime hunting or fishing license or lifetime
8    sportsmen's combination license which shall entitle the
9    holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as
10    residents holding a license as described in subsection
11    [paragraph] (a) of this Section and to the same hunting
12    privileges as residents holding a license to hunt all
13    species as described in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code.
14    No lifetime sportsmen's combination license shall be
15    issued to or retained by any individual who would be
16    ineligible for either the fishing or hunting license
17    separately, either upon issuance, or in any year a
18    violation would subject an individual to have either or
19    both fishing or hunting privileges rescinded. The lifetime
20    hunting and fishing license fees shall be as follows:
21            (1) Lifetime fishing: 30 x the current fishing
22        license fee.
23            (2) Lifetime hunting: 30 x the current hunting
24        license fee.
25            (3) Lifetime sportsmen's combination license: 30 x
26        the current sportsmen's combination license fee.
		SB3537	- 7 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    Lifetime licenses shall not be refundable. A $10 fee shall
2be charged for reissuing any lifetime license. The Department
3may establish rules and regulations for the issuance and use
4of lifetime licenses and may suspend or revoke any lifetime
5license issued under this Section for violations of those
6rules or regulations or other provisions under this Code or
7the Wildlife Code, or a violation of the United States Code
8that involves the taking, possessing, killing, harvesting,
9transportation, selling, exporting, or importing any fish or
10aquatic life protected by this Code or the taking, possessing,
11killing, harvesting, transportation, selling, exporting, or
12importing any fauna protected by the Wildlife Code when any
13part of the United States Code violation occurred in Illinois.
14Individuals under 16 years of age who possess a lifetime
15hunting or sportsmen's combination license shall have in their
16possession, while in the field, a certificate of competency as
17required under Section 3.2 of the Wildlife Code. Any lifetime
18license issued under this Section shall not exempt individuals
19from obtaining additional stamps or permits required under the
20provisions of this Code or the Wildlife Code. Individuals
21required to purchase additional stamps shall sign the stamps
22and have them in their possession while fishing or hunting
23with a lifetime license. All fees received from the issuance
24of lifetime licenses shall be deposited in the Fish and
25Wildlife Endowment Fund. No fee under this subsection (f) 
26shall be charged to residents 65 years old or older.
		SB3537	- 8 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1    Except for licenses issued under subsection (e) of this
2Section, all licenses provided for in this Section shall
3expire on March 31 of each year, except that the license
4provided for in subsection (d) of this Section shall expire 24
5hours after the effective date and time listed on the face of
6the license. Licenses issued under subsection (a-3) or (c-5)
7shall expire on March 31 of the 2nd year after the year in
8which the license is issued.
9    The Department shall by administrative rule provide for
10the automatic renewal of a fishing license upon the request of
11the applicant.
12    All individuals required to have and failing to have the
13license provided for in subsection (a), (a-3), or (d) of this
14Section shall be fined according to the provisions of Section
1520-35 of this Code.
16    All individuals required to have and failing to have the
17licenses provided for in subsections (b) and (e) of this
18Section shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
19    (g) For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable
20verification" means official documentation from the Department
21of Defense or the appropriate Major Command showing
22mobilization dates or service abroad dates, including: (i) a
23DD-214, (ii) a letter from the Illinois Department of Military
24Affairs for members of the Illinois National Guard, (iii) a
25letter from the Regional Reserve Command for members of the
26Armed Forces Reserve, (iv) a letter from the Major Command
		SB3537	- 9 -	LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b
1covering Illinois for active duty members, (v) personnel
2records for mobilized State employees, and (vi) any other
3documentation that the Department, by administrative rule,
4deems acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or service
5abroad.
6    For the purposes of this Section, the term "service
7abroad" means active duty service outside of the 50 United
8States and the District of Columbia, and includes all active
9duty service in territories and possessions of the United
10States.
11(Source: P.A. 102-780, eff. 5-13-22; 102-837, eff. 5-13-22;
12103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-456, eff. 1-1-24; revised 7-3-25.)