Families Afield bills in four states are on the move as the 2015 state legislative sessions heat up. While 35 states already have passed Families Afield measures, much work remains to be done to ensure that every state has optimized their hunting laws and regulations to maximize recruitment and retention efforts.
Iowa Poised to Become 36th Families Afield State – Senate File 392, sponsored by Sen. Dick Dearden (D-Des Moines), has cleared both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly. The measure, would establish the state’s first ever apprentice hunting program for adults. Iowa law already permits those under the age of 16 to hunt with a mentor prior to completing hunter education. But that same availability was not extended to those 16 and older. Under Senator Dearden’s leadership, the bill received unanimous support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and now awaits the signature of Gov. Terry Branstad. SF 392 was also supported by the Iowa Conservation Alliance and numerous other sportsmen’s organziations across the state.
Montana Families Afield Bill Advances – Senate Bill 395, introduced by Sen. Mark Blasdel (R-Kalispell), passed the Senate on March 31 and is currently being pending in the House Judiciary Committee. This bill would allow those between the ages of 10 and 18 to try hunting under the watchful eye of an experienced mentor, prior to completing a hunter education course. Currently, Montana law makes no allowance for new hunters to try hunting before making having to complete hunter education. This concept, known as apprentice hunting, has become a staple of state wildlife agency recruitment efforts all across the country.
New Jersey Families Afield Legislation Clears the Senate – Legislation to authorize apprentice hunting in New Jersey, recently cleared the State Senate with an overwhelming 31-1 vote. The bill, Senate Bill 573 along with its Assembly companion A.2443, is currently pending in the Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. This legislation would allow new hunters age 14 and older to take advantage of a one year apprentice hunting license up to two times in their lifetime. The New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs is actively engaged with the support of the Families Afield Coalition to ensure this legislation is enacted during this year’s session.
Tennessee Rapidly Moving to Expand Apprentice Hunting Opportunities – Legislation aimed at expanding Tennessee’s apprentice hunting program is rapidly progressing through the state legislature. Tennessee was one of the first states to adopt apprentice hunting when it passed its original apprentice hunting law in 2006. Now, the state’s legislature is looking to expand the program to allow for multiple-year participation. This approach is common amongst Families afield states, and has shown the ability to help transition newcomers into hunter education classes and ultimately into regular license buyers. The Tennessee Wildlife Federation has aggressively pushed for this legislative improvement on the state’s Families Afield program along with USSA and our Families Afield Coalition partners.
“Expanding apprentice hunting opportunities in Tennessee is a proven way to reach out and recruit new and nontraditional hunters. Passage of this legislation will help to put more hunters in the field and ensure that Tennessee’s proud hunting tradition continues on in the future. We want to especially thank the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance for their research and support on this legislation. It was very helpful”, Mike Butler, CEO, Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
About Families Afield: Families Afield is a joint effort, backed by USSA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Rifle Association, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. To date, 35 states have passed Families Afield legislation, resulting in more than 1.2 million new hunters.
