§20-2B-7. Lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses created.

(a) Pursuant to §20-2B-3 of this code, the director may issue the following lifetime hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and for the lifetime of the licensee, the lifetime licenses serve in lieu of the equivalent annual license: Lifetime resident statewide hunting and trapping license; lifetime resident combination statewide hunting, fishing, and trapping license; lifetime resident statewide fishing license; and lifetime resident trout fishing license.

(b) The director shall propose a rule for legislative approval in accordance with §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code, setting fees for lifetime licenses and shall have authority to promulgate emergency legislative rules necessary to make effective the provisions of this section by July 1, 2021. The fees for adult lifetime licenses shall be 23 times the fee for the equivalent annual licenses or stamps. The rule shall provide that the fee for any resident who has not reached his or her 15th birthday shall be:

(1) Forty percent of the adult fee set under rule for any resident who has not reached his or her first birthday;

(2) Fifty-five percent of the adult fee set under rule for any resident who is over one year old but has not reached his or her fifth birthday;

(3) Seventy-five percent of the adult fee set under rule for any resident who is over five years old but has not reached his or her 10th birthday; and

(4) Ninety percent of the adult fee set under rule for any resident who is over 10 years old but has not reached his or her 15th birthday.

The rule shall also provide that any resident who has not reached his or her 15th birthday and has been legally adopted shall be provided the same fee schedule, except the division shall use the date of entry of the order or decree of adoption as the licensee’s date of birth for purposes of calculating the appropriate fee: Provided, That in addition to the provisions of this subsection for adopted children, foster parents may also purchase a lifetime license for their respective foster children under the same guidelines, except the division shall use the date of entry of the order placing the child in foster care as the licensee’s date of birth for purposes of calculating the appropriate fee.