Arkansas Governor Signs Bill Creating Lifetime Resident Hunting License for Disabled Veterans

On April 10, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Senate Bill 397 into law, which creates a new resident disabled veterans lifetime combination hunting and fishing license that also includes a lifetime Arkansas duck stamp and an Arkansas trout stamp.

According to estimates from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director, Pat Fitts, the license is estimated to double the reach of eligible recipients to over 14,000 disabled veterans by lowering the threshold from 100 disabled to 70 percent disabled.

The license will cost $52.50 for veterans who are 70 to 99 percent disabled, and will be available later this year. The new license is an additional option to the current $1.50 resident disabled military veteran lifetime fishing license and the $1.50 resident disabled military veteran lifetime hunting license (both $1.50 licenses are available to only veterans who are 100 percent disabled).

“It’s one way to recognize and honor the service of disabled veterans in this state,” said Gov. Hutchinson. Fitts agreed, stating, “We did work very closely with the Veterans Affairs office on this bill, and while we can never fully repay our disabled veterans for what they have given this country, we can say ‘thank you’ by offering this lifetime license.”

For more information, visit agfc.com.