New Hunting Regulations Become Law On January 1st 2019

On January 1st the following hunting related bills will become law.  Many of you have seen the Blaze Pink Bill being discussed, however there are two more pieces of legislation that you will see become effective in the new year.

Did you know that the following happened during the 100th General Assembly?

• 1,268 pieces of legislation passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly

• 1,044 bills were approved by the Governor.

• 135 initiatives were vetoed by the Governor.

• 50 vetoed items were overridden by lawmakers, rejecting the Governor's objection. (source)

New Hunting Laws

HB 4231

Allows both firearms deer hunters and upland game hunters to wear blaze pink in addition to blaze orange during their hunting season.

HB 4783

Combines the Youth Hunting License and the Youth Trapping License to create a Youth Hunting and Trapping License for a fee of $7. Provides that a Youth Hunting and Trapping License shall entitle the licensee to hunt while supervised by an adult who is 21 years of age or older and who has a valid Illinois hunting license. Provides that if a youth has a valid certificate of competency for hunting or trapping from a hunter safety course or a trapper safety course approved by the Department of Natural Resources, he or she is exempt from the supervision requirements for youth hunters or youth trappers under the provision.

HB 5440
Provides that the fees for a youth resident and non-resident archery deer permit shall be the same. Provides that a resident or non-resident youth under age 18 (rather than only resident youth) may apply to the Department of Natural Resources for a Youth Hunting License and Youth Trapping License.

101st General Assembly To Be Sworn In

Members of the 101st General Assembly will be sworn in on January 9th at noon.  The Illinois House will hold their inauguration at UIS and the Illinois Senate will hold their inauguration in the Senate Chambers at the Illinois Capitol Building.  Both ceremonies will be broadcast here.

The 101st GA is sure to be an action packed one, especially during the first year.  Stay tuned and be sure to follow us on FB for continuous updates from the Capitol.