NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

June 28, 2000

CONTACT: Susan Weaver (850) 488-3641

RULE CHANGES FOR DISABLED PERSONS' HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES

A new law goes into effect July 1, detailing qualifications for free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled Florida residents.

In order to qualify for the licenses, applicants will need to provide a certification of total and permanent disability from the United States Armed Forces or the United States Veterans Administration. Alternatively, a Notice of Award from the Social Security Administration for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Supplemental Security Disability Income (SSDI) Benefits will also be accepted. Previously, a certification from a licensed medical doctor in Florida was accepted in order to qualify for the license, but that provision no longer applies.

Susan Weaver, chief of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC's) Bureau of Licensing and Permitting, said the Florida Legislature enacted the change because the guidelines given to the physicians only allowed them to qualify an individual for the no-cost license if the condition was the result of catastrophic injury.

"If you lost a leg in a traffic accident, a doctor could qualify you to receive the no-cost hunting and fishing license," Ms. Weaver said, "but if you lost a leg as the result of something like diabetes, a doctor could not qualify you."

Under the new law, she said, certification for the free license will be more uniform and will be more closely tied to loss of ability to earn income.

Another provision of the law, is that all disability licenses issued prior to July 1, 1997 will become invalid July 1. This will include anyone who received the yellow card. Affected individuals may reapply under the new guidelines if they meet the new requirements.

Applications for these licenses are available from local county tax collectors' offices.