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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the issuance of state parklands passports to and a |
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waiver of certain entrance or admission fees to state parks and |
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state historical sites for certain family members of a person who |
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died while serving in the United States armed forces. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 442, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 442.00515 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 442.00515. FEE WAIVER. (a) The executive director |
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shall waive the entrance fee for a historic site under the |
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commission's jurisdiction for an individual who is eligible to |
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receive a gold star lapel button pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Section 1126. |
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(b) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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a fee waiver under this section. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 13.018(a) and (c), Parks and Wildlife |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The following people may apply to the department for a |
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state parklands passport: |
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(1) a resident of this state who is 65 years old or |
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over who has resided in the state for six consecutive months |
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preceding the date of application for a parklands passport, a |
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member of the United States armed forces on active duty who is 65 |
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years old or over, or any other individual in a category that the |
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commission by rule designates as a resident of this state who is 65 |
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years old or over; |
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(2) a veteran of the armed services of the United |
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States who, as a result of military service, has a |
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service-connected disability, as defined by the Veterans' |
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Administration, consisting of the loss of the use of a lower |
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extremity or of a 60 percent disability rating and who is receiving |
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compensation from the United States because of the disability; |
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[and] |
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(3) an individual who has a physical or mental |
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impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life |
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activities of the individual; and |
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(4) an individual who is eligible to receive a gold |
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star lapel button pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Section 1126. |
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(c) The holder of a state parklands passport issued on or |
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before August 31, 1995, a person whose birth date is before |
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September 1, 1930, or a person [veteran] described by Subsection |
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(a)(2) or (a)(4) is entitled to enter any state park without payment |
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of an entrance or admission fee. When a fee is charged by the |
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department for entrance of a vehicle into a state park, the vehicle |
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of the holder of a state parklands passport is exempt from the fee |
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when the holder is present. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |