(1) For the purpose of establishing and administering a mandatory firearm hunter education program for persons twelve through twenty-nine years of age who hunt with a firearm or air gun any species of game, game birds, or game animals, the commission shall provide a program of firearm hunter education training leading to obtaining a certificate of successful completion in the safe handling of firearms and shall locate and train volunteer firearm hunter education instructors. The program shall provide instruction in the areas of safe firearms use, shooting and sighting techniques, hunter ethics, game identification, and conservation management. The commission shall issue a firearm hunter education certificate of successful completion to persons having satisfactorily completed a firearm hunter 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 carrying out and administering such programs.

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(2) It shall be unlawful for any person twenty-nine years of age or younger to hunt with a firearm or air gun any species of game, game birds, or game animals except:

(a) A person under the age of twelve years who is accompanied as described in subsection (4) of this section;

(b) A person twelve through twenty-nine years of age who has on his or her person proof of successful completion of a hunter education course as described in subsection (1) of this section or a hunter education course issued by the person’s state or province of residence or by an accredited program recognized by the commission;

(c) A person twelve through twenty-nine years of age who has on his or her person the appropriate hunting permit and an apprentice hunter education exemption certificate issued by the commission pursuant to subsection (3) of this section and who is accompanied as described in subsection (4) of this section; or

(d) A person who has a developmental disability, who holds the appropriate hunting permit and a license-purchase exemption certificate issued pursuant to section 37-404.01, and who is accompanied as described in subsection (4) of this section.

(3) An apprentice hunter education exemption certificate may be issued to a person twelve through twenty-nine years of age, once during such person’s lifetime with one renewal, upon payment of a fee of five dollars and shall expire at midnight on December 31 of the year for which the apprentice hunter education exemption certificate is issued. The commission may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations allowing for the issuance of apprentice hunter education exemption certificates. All fees collected under this subsection shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the State Game Fund.

(4) For purposes of this section, accompanied means under the direct supervision of a person who is: (a) Nineteen years of age or older having a valid hunting permit. If such person is nineteen years of age or older but not older than twenty-nine years of age, he or she shall have also completed the required course of instruction to receive a certificate of completion for hunter education; and (b) at all times in unaided visual and verbal communication of persons who have a developmental disability and who are authorized under section 37-404.01 or no more than two persons having an apprentice hunter education exemption certificate. This subsection does not prohibit the use by such person nineteen years of age or older of ordinary prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses or ordinary hearing instruments.