XPost: alt.galactically.pointless, alt.politics.republicans, alt   
   stupid-is.as-stupid.does   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: stupid@stupid,   
      
   An effort is underway in California to expand opportunities for hunting   
   and fishing for youth with life-threatening illnesses or who have lost a   
   parent in service to the state or country.   
      
   Sen. Steven Choi, R-Irvine, last week introduced legislation that would   
   task California’s Fish and Game Commission with establishing a program to   
   help these youth access more opportunities to fish and hunt big game or   
   upland or migratory game birds. Examples of upland game birds are   
   pheasant, quail and wild turkey; migratory game birds include band-tailed   
   pigeons and mourning doves.   
      
   “For some young people facing serious illness, time is not a luxury they   
   have,” said Choi, calling Senate Bill 1021 a measure “about compassion and   
   responsible stewardship.”   
      
   “This bill creates a narrowly tailored and carefully supervised   
   opportunity for them to experience the outdoors while fully respecting   
   California’s conservation framework,” he said.   
      
   According to the bill’s fact sheet, youth generally have a difficult time   
   obtaining the needed permits to hunt in California, given the limited   
   number that exist. It said some 1,880 youth applied for the 16 big game   
   tags available to them in 2018.   
      
   “This will create unforgettable experiences for youth with critical   
   diagnoses and their families,” the fact sheet said. The bill “will bring   
   awareness to the vital role hunting plays in managing California’s   
   wildlife resources, and it will aid in the recruitment of the next   
   generation of our state’s declining conservationists.”   
      
   While eligibility could vary based on a case-by-case medical review,   
   Choi’s office said someone who is between 5 and 18 years old at the time   
   of a referral could qualify for the program, although it would be possible   
   to fulfill someone’s hunting or fishing request after turning 18 because   
   of planning timelines.   
      
   The proposed legislation mirrors a similar law in Georgia, where the state   
   is able to give authorization for terminally ill people who are 21 years   
   or younger to hunt big game or alligators.   
      
   Choi’s bill, though, would open the program to youth under 18 years of age   
   who have a life-threatening illness, defined, his office said, as a   
   “progressive, degenerative or malignant (cancerous) condition that places   
   the child’s life in jeopardy,” Choi’s office said. Diagnoses could include   
   chronic lung diseases, cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia, among   
   others.   
      
   And since the program is to be established by the Fish and Game   
   Commission, it would also need to utilize existing wildlife management   
   tools and be supervised by qualified instructors and guides, according to   
   Choi’s office, and not weaken existing conservation protections.   
      
   Senate Bill 1021 counts Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, as one   
   of its co-authors. Sens. Christopher Cabaldon, D-Yolo, and Caroline   
   Menjivar, D-San Fernando Valley, are also among the co-authors.   
      
   The bill is sponsored by Field of Dreams, a California-based nonprofit   
   that helps children with serious medical diagnoses or special needs, as   
   well as military and veteran families, to experience nature and outdoor   
   activities.   
      
   Tom Dermody, the nonprofit’s founder, said the group is backing the bill   
   “because it (Field of Dreams) recognizes that some kids cannot wait years   
   for an opportunity that may never come. This bill gives them hope, dignity   
   and a chance to create meaningful memories, all while respecting wildfire   
   and conservation.”   
      
   In other news   
   • Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed into law a bill meant to protect   
   veterans. From Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat whose district includes Brea   
   and Placentia, the bill is designed to protect veterans from predatory and   
   deceptive people or companies that claim to help them access their   
   benefits.   
      
   “This is a clear victory for veterans and their families,” Archuleta, a   
   U.S. Army combat veteran, said after the bill’s signing. “California is   
   sending a strong message that exploitation of those who served will not be   
   tolerated.”   
      
   The veterans bill had deeply divided legislators in the statehouse.   
   Opponents, including Sen. Tom Umberg, a Santa Ana Democrat and a retired   
   U.S. Army colonel, had expressed concerns that, while well-intentioned, it   
   could create a system in which veterans are not allowed to choose how they   
   file benefits claims.   
      
   https://www.ocregister.com/2026/02/15/sacramento-snapshot-new-california-   
   bill-would-expand-hunting-and-fishing-opportunities-for-sick-children/   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)