Legislation to aid special needs hunters passes Indiana House

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana House of Representatives today concurred with the Senate to pass legislation coauthored by State Rep. Clyde Kersey (D-Terre Haute), that will give Hoosiers with special needs the chance to hunt and fish.

House Bill 1050 looks to establish a special circumstance hunting safety card for individuals with physical or developmental disabilities.

“Currently, when a person who wants to hunt reaches 16 they have to go through a system of education to become a hunter and must pass a test,” said Kersey. “Young people with developmental disorders are not able to take that test so this bill sets up a special circumstance hunting safety card for those individuals with special needs.”

Under Kersey’s legislation, the special circumstances hunting safety card would allow these individuals to hunt with their parents or another adult providing that they are closely supervised.

The bill mandates that the supervising individual must be at least 18 years of age or older and hold a valid hunting license in addition to remaining close enough in proximity to monitor the special circumstance hunter’s activities at all times.

“The new law will allow special permits to be issued to individuals with a physical impairment resulting from injury or disease, excluding impairment due to normal aging,” said Kersey. “These permits allow those who cannot walk to hunt from a vehicle or to gain special vehicle access.”

The bill defines individuals with special circumstances to be children or adults who have a developmental disability or any individual that has a permanent physical or mental disability.

“We are here to help people and this bill helps people,” said Kersey. “A parent who has a child with developmental disabilities who wants to hunt with them wouldn’t be able to under current law so this allows for families to participate in this activity together.”

Since the changes made to the bill in the Senate were accepted by the House, the proposal now moves to the Governor’s office for that approval.