A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new subsection to section 20.1-03-11 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to disabled veteran deer hunting licenses.
Summary
SB 2199 would amend North Dakota law governing deer license lottery applications by giving a resident disabled veteran with a 100% service-connected disability one bonus point each year when applying for a deer license issued by lottery. The bonus point would be added on top of any other bonus points the applicant already has, and it would reset after the person receives a deer license through the lottery.
The bill is narrowly targeted and does not create a new license category or change general hunting eligibility rules. Instead, it creates a preference mechanism within the existing bonus-point system for deer license lotteries, specifically for qualifying disabled veterans as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would have amended section 20.1-03-11 of the North Dakota Century Code to add a new statutory bonus-point benefit for resident disabled veterans with a 100% service-connected disability. The practical effect would be to improve the odds of those veterans drawing a deer license in the state’s lottery system, while leaving the overall licensing structure intact. The measure would affect the Game and Fish licensing process and eligible veteran applicants, but would not broadly alter hunting seasons, bag limits, or nonresident licensing rules.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have had strong support in the Senate, passing second reading unanimously 46-0, suggesting broad agreement with its purpose of recognizing severely disabled veterans. It later failed in the House on second reading by a wide margin, 17-75, indicating that support did not carry across the full chamber. With no committee transcript available, the recorded votes are the main indicator of sentiment: favorable in the Senate, but ultimately unsuccessful in the House.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to have been whether the state should grant a special advantage in a limited deer lottery to one class of applicants, even for a sympathetic group such as 100% disabled veterans. Supporters likely viewed the bill as a modest benefit and a way to honor service-connected disability, while opponents in the House may have objected to creating a preference that could affect fairness in an already limited lottery system or set a precedent for additional preference categories. Because there were no committee notes, the specific arguments are not documented in the provided materials.
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new subsection to section 20.1-03-11 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to disabled veteran deer hunting licenses.
AN ACT to amend and reenact sections 20.1-03-12 and 20.1-03-36.1, subsection 7 of section 20.1-03-37, subsection 4 of section 20.1-03-38, and section 20.1-04-12.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to hunting, fishing, and gun dog activity fees and hunting guide and outfitter licensing requirements.