By: King of Zavala (Senate Sponsor - Uresti)	H.B. No. 971
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2007;
	May 2, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
	Resources; May 21, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:
	Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 21, 2007, sent to printer.)

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to a documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe
	of Texas hunting certain deer.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 42.001(1), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(1)  "Resident" means:
	(A)  an individual who has resided continuously in
	this state for more than six months immediately before applying for
	a hunting license;
	(B)  a member of the United States armed forces on
	active duty;
	(C)  a dependent of a member of the United States
	armed forces on active duty; [or]
	(D)  a member of any other category of individuals
	that the commission by regulation designates as residents; or
	(E)  a member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of
	Texas who possesses documentation of membership sanctioned by the
	Bureau of Indian Affairs.
	SECTION 2.  Section 61.021, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 61.021.  TAKING WILDLIFE RESOURCES PROHIBITED. (a)
	Except as provided by Subsection (b) or permitted under a
	proclamation issued by the commission under this chapter, no person
	may hunt, catch, or possess a game bird or game animal, fish, marine
	animal, or other aquatic life at any time or in any place covered by
	this chapter.
	(b)  A documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of
	Texas who holds a license under Section 42.002 may hunt antlerless
	white-tailed deer for religious ceremonial purposes on any day of
	the year between one-half hour before sunrise and one-half hour
	after sunset. A documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional
	Tribe of Texas hunting antlerless white-tailed deer under this
	subsection shall:
	(1)  comply with all other provisions of this code and
	proclamations adopted under this code;
	(2)  notify a local game warden, deputy game warden, or
	special game warden at least 24 hours before hunting antlerless
	white-tailed deer during an otherwise closed season under the game
	laws of this state; and
	(3)  obtain explicit permission from the landowner
	before hunting antlerless white-tailed deer during an otherwise
	closed season under the game laws of this state on that landowner's
	privately owned property.
	SECTION 3.  Section 61.057(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Section 61.021 and [in] Subsection
	(c) [of this section], no person may hunt an antlerless deer or
	antelope in this state without first having acquired an antlerless
	deer or antelope permit issued by the department on a form provided
	by the department.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
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