The lower chamber of Alabama’s state legislature passed a bill Tuesday that instructs the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to sell lifetime hunting and fishing licenses to disabled veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces at a reduced price.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Andy Whitt (R-Harvest).

The legislation passed with a 102-0 vote. It will now head to the Alabama Senate for consideration.

If enacted, the law would take effect starting with the license year that begins on September 1, 2020.

“This bill will basically offer a lifetime hunting and fishing license to our disabled veterans, which we do not offer at this time,” said Whitt on the floor of the House.

After a friendly amendment for Rep. Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn), the bill says that individuals certified by the U.S. Veterans Administration as 40% or more physically disabled will begin to be eligible for the reduced fee.

For those meeting the 40% disabled benchmark, the fees for the newly created “lifetime disabled military veterans appreciation hunting license” would amount to $60 for someone under 50 years old and $30 for those over 50.

For veterans certified as 100% disabled, those fees are further reduced to $45 for those under 50 and $25 for those over 50.

Disabled vets will now also be eligible for lifetime Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing licenses for less than $50 each.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.