37-413 Firearm hunter education program; commission issue certificate; hunting, lawful when; apprentice hunter education exemption certificate; fee.
37-413. Firearm huntereducation program; commission issue certificate; hunting, lawful when; apprenticehunter education exemption certificate; fee.(1) For thepurpose of establishing and administering a mandatory firearm hunter educationprogram for persons twelve through twenty-nine years of age who hunt witha firearm or crossbow any species of game, game birds, or game animals, thecommission shall provide a program of firearm hunter education training leadingto obtaining a certificate of successful completion in the safe handling offirearms and shall locate and train volunteer firearm hunter education instructors.The program shall provide a training course having a minimum of (a) ten hoursof classroom instruction or (b) independent study on the part of the studentsufficient to pass an examination given by the commission followed by suchstudent's participation in a minimum of four hours of practical instruction.The program shall provide instruction in the areas of safe firearms use, shootingand sighting techniques, hunter ethics, game identification, and conservationmanagement. The commission shall issue a firearm hunter education certificateof successful completion to persons having satisfactorily completed a firearmhunter education course accredited by the commission and shall print, purchase,or otherwise acquire materials as necessary for effective program operation.The commission shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations for carryingout and administering such programs.(2) It shall be unlawful for any person twenty-nine years of age oryounger to hunt with a firearm or crossbow any species of game, game birds,or game animals except:(a) A person under the age of twelve years who is accompanied by a personnineteen years of age or older having a valid hunting permit;(b) A person twelve through twenty-nine years of age who has on hisor her person proof of successful completion of a hunter education courseor a firearm hunter education course issued by the person's state or provinceof residence or by an accredited program recognized by the commission; or(c) A person twelve through twenty-nine years of age who has on hisor her person the appropriate hunting permit and an apprentice hunter educationexemption certificate issued by the commission pursuant to subsection (3)of this section and who is accompanied as described in subsection (4) of thissection.(3) An apprentice hunter education exemption certificate may be issuedto a person twelve through twenty-nine years of age, once during such person'slifetime with one renewal, upon payment of a fee of five dollars and shallexpire at midnight on December 31 of the year for which the apprentice huntereducation exemption certificate is issued. The commission may adopt and promulgaterules and regulations allowing for the issuance of apprentice hunter educationexemption certificates. All fees collected under this subsection shall beremitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the State Game Fund.(4) For purposes of this section, accompanied means under the directsupervision of a person who is: (a) Nineteen yearsof age or older having a valid hunting permit. If such person is nineteen years of age or older but notolder than twenty-nine years of age, he or she shall have also completed therequired course of instruction to receive a certificate of completion forfirearm hunter education if hunting with a firearm or crossbow as describedin subdivision (2)(b) of this section or for bow hunter education if huntingwith a bow and arrow as described in section 37-414; and (b) at all times in unaidedvisual and verbal communication of no more than two persons having an apprenticehunter education exemption certificate. This subsection does not prohibitthe use by such person nineteen years of age or older of ordinary prescriptioneyeglasses or contact lenses or ordinary hearing instruments. SourceLaws 1969, c. 766, § 1, p. 2903; Laws 1974, LB 865, § 1; Laws 1996, LB 584, § 1; R.S.Supp.,1996, § 37-104; Laws 1998, LB 922, § 123; Laws 2001, LB 111, § 3; Laws 2003, LB 305, § 9; Laws 2008, LB690, § 1; Laws 2009, LB195, § 4; Laws 2010, LB871, § 1.Effective Date: July 15, 2010