Victory in Rhode Island for Disabled Archers !!!!
On June 9, 2004 the Governor of Rhode Island signed H7913 into law. This law, for the first time, legalizes crossbows and modified bows for disabled hunters in the State of Rhode Island.
In response to this new law, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has already included new disabled crossbow regulations in their proposed 2004-2005 hunting regulations.
This new law in Rhode Island is in response to the actions of the Alliance for Disabled Sportsmen Rights [
www.disabledrights.org] But it should be noted that Alliance members DID NOT have to formally file any federal discrimination complaints against Rhode Island. The State of Rhode Island has been very responsive to this issue from the beginning and they were able to get this law passed from within. The Alliance would like to thank the folks in Rhode Island who helped champion this cause.
This victory in Rhode Island comes on the heels of recent victories in Washington, California, and Alaska. Now only 6 states remain who have a ban on crossbows for disabled individuals. These states are New York, West Virginia, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, and Nevada. The Alliance will be working hard to get these last 6 states changed.
Here is the wording of the new law in Rhode Island:
Crossbows:
"Crossbow permits. Crossbow permits may be issued by the department to those persons who have a permanent physical impairment due to injury or disease, congenital or acquired, which renders them so severely disabled as to be unable to use a conventional bow and arrow device. Said permits will be issued by the department only after the receipt of a physician's statement confirming the applicant is impaired as referred to above. All permittees must have taken and successfully completed both hunter education and bow hunter education classes prior to the issuance of a permit."
Modified Bows (Draw-Locs, mouth-tabs, body-braces, etc):
"Possession of archery aid devices for deer hunting with special permit. Any person who has a permanent physical impairment due to injury or disease, congenital or acquired, which renders them so severely disabled as to be unable to use a conventional bow and arrow device, and/or who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older, may legally hunt deer using adaptive equipment and aids. Said permits will be issued by the department only after the receipt of a physician's statement confirming the applicant is impaired as referred to above."
Thanks,
The Alliance for Disabled Sportsmen Rights
www.disabledrights.org
Source 2004-2005 proposed regulations:
http://www.state.ri.us/dem/programs/...f/propht45.pdf
Source H7913:
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Billtex...xt04/H7913.pdf
Victory in Rhode Island for Disabled Archers !!!
