571—15.23 (483A) Free hunting and fishing license for low-income persons 65 years of age and older or low-income persons who are permanently disabled.
	 15.23(1) Purpose. Pursuant to Iowa Code subsection 483A.24(15), the department of natural resources will issue a free annual combination hunting and fishing license to low-income persons who meet the age status or permanently disabled status as defined.
	 15.23(2) Definitions.
“Age status” means a person who has achieved the sixty-fifth birthday.
“Low-income person” means a person who is a recipient of a program administered by the state department of human services for persons who meet low-income guidelines.
“Permanently disabled” means a person who meets the definition in Iowa Code section 483A.4.
	 15.23(3) Procedure. Each person shall apply to the department of natural resources for a license as follows:
	  a.   	 Application shall be made on a form provided by the department and shall include the name, address, height, weight, color of eyes and hair, date of birth, and gender of the applicant. In addition, applicants shall include a copy of an official document such as a birth certificate if claiming age status, or a copy of an award letter from the Social Security Administration or private pension plan if claiming permanent disabled status. The applicant shall indicate on the application which low-income assistance program the applicant is receiving. The application shall include an authorization allowing the department of human services to verify that the applicant is a recipient of the low-income assistance program checked on the application.
	  b.   	 The free annual combination license will be issued by the department upon receipt of a properly completed application. The license will be valid until January 10 of the subsequent year. Proof of eligibility must be submitted each year in order to obtain a free license.
	  c.   	 A person whose income falls below the federal poverty guidelines, but is not a recipient of a state assistance program, may apply for this license by providing the following:
	 (1) 	 A statement listing income from all sources (i.e., social security, retirement income, wages, dividends and interest, cash gifts, rents and royalties, and other cash income).
	 (2) 	 A copy of any available document that verifies income (i.e., income tax return, bank statement, social security statement, or other document the applicant considers supportive of income status).
	 (3) 	 A signed statement by the applicant that the applicant’s annual cash income does not exceed the federal poverty limit for the current year.
Federal poverty guidelines are published in February of each year and will be the income standard for applicants from that time until the new limits are available in the subsequent year. The income limit will be shown on the application and will be available upon request from the department.
[ARC 7852B, IAB 6/17/09, effective 7/22/09]