| H.B. No. 1728 | ||
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| relating to partnerships between the Texas Parks and Wildlife | ||
| Department and nonprofit entities to promote hunting and fishing by | ||
| certain veterans. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 11, Parks and Wildlife | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 11.208 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 11.208. PARTNERSHIP WITH NONPROFIT SERVING VETERANS. | ||
| (a) In this section, "veteran" means a person who has served in the | ||
| United States armed forces. | ||
| (b) The department may select and cooperate with one or more | ||
| nonprofit partners that exclusively serve veterans to promote | ||
| hunting and fishing by those veterans. A selection under this | ||
| section must be approved by the commission. | ||
| (c) A veteran who is a resident of this state and who is | ||
| served by a nonprofit selected under Subsection (b) may: | ||
| (1) hunt on one day without holding a hunting license | ||
| required under Chapter 42 if accompanied by a representative of the | ||
| nonprofit partner who holds the appropriate license; and | ||
| (2) fish on one day without holding a fishing license | ||
| required under Chapter 46 if accompanied by a representative of the | ||
| nonprofit partner who holds the appropriate license. | ||
| (d) The commission by rule shall establish: | ||
| (1) criteria under which the department may select a | ||
| nonprofit partner under this section; and | ||
| (2) guidelines under which a representative of or a | ||
| veteran served by a nonprofit partner may engage in hunting or | ||
| fishing activities under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. The heading to Section 42.002, Parks and | ||
| Wildlife Code, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 42.002. RESIDENT LICENSE REQUIRED; EXEMPTIONS | ||
| [ |
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| SECTION 3. Section 42.002, Parks and Wildlife Code, is | ||
| amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b), [ |
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| (d) [ |
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| this state without having acquired a hunting license. | ||
| (d) A person who is a resident and who is a veteran of the | ||
| United States armed forces is not required to have a license issued | ||
| under this section if the person is acting under Section 11.208 and | ||
| complying with rules adopted under that section. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 46.002(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) A license issued under this chapter is not required of a | ||
| person: | ||
| (1) who is a resident and whose birth date is before | ||
| January 1, 1931; | ||
| (2) who is a nonresident, if the person's birth date is | ||
| before September 1, 1930, and the person's state of residence | ||
| grants a similar age exemption to Texas residents; | ||
| (3) who is mentally disabled and who is engaging in | ||
| recreational fishing as part of medically approved therapy, and who | ||
| is fishing under the immediate supervision of personnel approved or | ||
| employed by a hospital, residence, or school for mentally disabled | ||
| persons; | ||
| (4) who is mentally retarded and is engaged in | ||
| recreational fishing under the immediate supervision of a person | ||
| who: | ||
| (A) holds a license issued under this chapter; | ||
| and | ||
| (B) has the permission of the mentally retarded | ||
| person's family head or legal guardian to take the mentally | ||
| retarded person fishing if the person is not a member of the family | ||
| of the mentally retarded person; [ |
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| (5) who is participating in an event that is sponsored | ||
| or co-sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with the | ||
| approval of the Executive Director; or | ||
| (6) who is a resident and who is a veteran of the | ||
| United States armed forces, if the person is acting under Section | ||
| 11.208 and complying with rules adopted under that section. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 1728 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 14, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 1728 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 19, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||