On Wednesday, the Michigan Senate passed Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) supported House Bill 5737 on a 38-0 vote following its unanimous passage in the House of Representatives. The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck), amends the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) to enable minor and adult individuals with certain disabilities to hunt in the presence of a mentor.
The legislation adapts the successful Mentored Youth Hunting Program to a broader Mentored Hunting Program to provide supervised hunting opportunities for individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities that prevent the individual from completing a hunter’s safety course.
Under current law, the Mentored Youth Hunting Program allows individuals under the age of 10 to hunt with a guardian or authorized individual of at least 21 who holds a valid hunting license, excluding apprentice licenses. At that point, a hunter can hunt on an apprentice license for two years before state law mandates they take hunters’ safety allowing them to purchase a standard hunting license.
The legislation allows the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to distribute mentored hunting licenses to minors and adults with special needs, allowing them to hunt under the conditions specified in the Mentored Hunting Program.
This legislation will not affect a large number of Michigan’s hunters but will mean the world to those that it does, said Justin Tomei, MUCC’s Policy and Government Affairs Manager.
“Often, we work on regulations or laws affecting hundreds of thousands of Michigan’s hunters, anglers, and trappers. This legislation is vastly different in terms of scope,” said Tomei. “To those hunters who will soon be able to pursue their outdoor dreams, and to their families, this legislation means everything.”
The legislation now heads to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her signature. Once signed, the DNR can begin implementation and the program should be in place before the 2024 deer season.
About MUCC: Michigan United Conservation Club is the largest statewide conservation organization in the nation. Founded in 1937, our mission is to unite citizens to conserve, protect, and enhance Michigan’s natural resources and outdoor heritage.
