Any resident of the State of Vermont who is serving in the U.S. Armed Forces or is performing or under orders to perform any homeland defense or State-side contingency operation, or both, for a period of 120 consecutive days or more shall certify that he or she is eligible under this section to obtain at no cost a hunting or fishing license or a combination hunting and fishing license. This provision will apply only during the period he or she is serving in the U. S. Armed Forces, or as certified pursuant to this section. A person who obtains a license under this section may keep the license until it expires, whether or not the person continues to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces until the expiration date. (Added 1971, No. 224 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1973; amended 2001, No. 143 (Adj. Sess.), § 58a, eff. June 21, 2002; 2003, No. 10, § 1; 2011, No. 54, § 8.)