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An Act To Expand Maine's Moose Lottery To Benefit Wounded Service Members and Veterans
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11154, sub-§5, as repealed and replaced by PL 2017, c. 427, §14 and affected by §19, is amended to read:
 
5. Eligibility.   Except as provided in this subsection, a resident or nonresident who is eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license or who will be eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license by the opening day of the open moose season is eligible to apply for a moose hunting permit. A person who has obtained a moose hunting permit is ineligible to obtain another permit until the 4th calendar year after the issuance of the last permit. This limitation does not apply to subpermitteesa subpermittee under subsection 7 or an applicant under subsection 16. A person under 10 years of age on the opening day of the open moose season is eligible to apply for a moose hunting permit and may accrue points under subsection 8 but is ineligible to receive a moose hunting permit.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §11154, sub-§16  is enacted to read:
 
16.  Moose permit transfer; wounded service members.     A resident or nonresident who is eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license or who will be eligible to obtain a Maine hunting license by the opening day of the open moose season may apply for a moose hunting permit that, if issued, would be issued to a wounded service member or veteran. An applicant under this subsection must indicate on the application filed pursuant to subsection 6 that the permit is intended to go to a wounded service member or veteran. The applicant may indicate on the application the identity of the wounded service member or veteran or request the commissioner choose the wounded service member or veteran from a list maintained by the commissioner. The commissioner shall maintain a list of wounded service members and veterans who submit their names to the commissioner for consideration for a moose hunting permit under this subsection and shall choose a wounded service member or veteran from the list upon the request of an applicant on a random basis. A wounded service member or veteran must meet the requirements of subsection 4 to obtain a moose hunting permit under this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, "wounded service member or veteran" means a person who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness or wound while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States and meets the requirements of subsection 5.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows a person eligible to participate in the public chance drawing for a moose hunting permit to indicate on the application for a permit the person's intention that the permit be issued to a wounded service member or veteran. The person may indicate the identity of the wounded service member or veteran or request that the commissioner randomly draw the name of a wounded service member or veteran from a list maintained by the commissioner of wounded service members and veterans who have submitted their names for consideration to receive a moose hunting permit under this process.
This bill defines a wounded service member or veteran as a person who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness or wound while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States and who is otherwise eligible to receive a moose hunting permit.