S.B. No. 801
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of land used
  for wildlife management.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subdivision (7), Section 23.51, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (7)  "Wildlife management" means:
                     (A)  actively using land that at the time the
  wildlife-management use began was appraised as qualified
  open-space land under this subchapter or as qualified timber land
  under Subchapter E in at least three of the following ways to
  propagate a sustaining breeding, migrating, or wintering
  population of indigenous wild animals for human use, including
  food, medicine, or recreation:
                           (i)  habitat control;
                           (ii)  erosion control;
                           (iii)  predator control;
                           (iv)  providing supplemental supplies of
  water;
                           (v)  providing supplemental supplies of
  food;
                           (vi)  providing shelters; and
                           (vii)  making of census counts to determine
  population;
                     (B)  actively using land to protect federally
  listed endangered species under a federal permit if the land is:
                           (i)  included in a habitat preserve and is
  subject to a conservation easement created under Chapter 183,
  Natural Resources Code; or
                           (ii)  part of a conservation development
  under a federally approved habitat conservation plan that restricts
  the use of the land to protect federally listed endangered species;
  or
                     (C)  actively using land for a conservation or
  restoration project to provide compensation for natural resource
  damages pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
  Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. Section 9601 et
  seq.), the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. Section 2701 et
  seq.), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. Section
  1251 et seq.), or Chapter 40, Natural Resources Code.
         SECTION 2.  Section 23.52, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Subsection (g) to read as follows:
         (g)  The category of land that qualifies under Section
  23.51(7) is the category of the land under this subchapter or
  Subchapter E, as applicable, before the wildlife-management use
  began.
         SECTION 3.  Section 23.56, Tax Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 23.56.  LAND INELIGIBLE FOR APPRAISAL AS OPEN-SPACE
  LAND.  Land is not eligible for appraisal as provided by this
  subchapter if:
               (1)  the land is located inside the corporate limits of
  an incorporated city or town, unless:
                     (A)  the city or town is not providing the land
  with governmental and proprietary services substantially
  equivalent in standard and scope to those services it provides in
  other parts of the city or town with similar topography, land
  utilization, and population density; [or]
                     (B)  the land has been devoted principally to
  agricultural use continuously for the preceding five years; or
                     (C)  the land:
                           (i)  has been devoted principally to
  agricultural use or to production of timber or forest products
  continuously for the preceding five years; and
                           (ii)  is used for wildlife management;
               (2)  the land is owned by an individual who is a
  nonresident alien or by a foreign government if that individual or
  government is required by federal law or by rule adopted pursuant to
  federal law to register his ownership or acquisition of that
  property; or
               (3)  the land is owned by a corporation, partnership,
  trust, or other legal entity if the entity is required by federal
  law or by rule adopted pursuant to federal law to register its
  ownership or acquisition of that land and a nonresident alien or a
  foreign government or any combination of nonresident aliens and
  foreign governments own a majority interest in the entity.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2010.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 801 passed the Senate on
  April 30, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 801 passed the House on
  May 26, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 145, Nays 0, two
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor