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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to waivers for state park entrance fees and hunting and |
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fishing license fees for certain resident first responders. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.015, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (a-2) and adding Subsections (a-3) |
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and (a-4) to read as follows: |
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(a-2) The department shall waive the park entrance fee for a |
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resident who is a first responder who: |
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(1) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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service as a first responder; or |
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(2) has a disability connected to service as a first |
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responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower extremity or |
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of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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(a-3) For purposes of Subsection (a-2): |
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(1) "First responder" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 42.012. |
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(2) "Resident" means: |
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(A) an individual who has resided continuously in |
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this state for more than six months immediately before visiting the |
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state park; and |
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(B) an individual described by Section |
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42.001(1)(B), (C), (D), (E), or (F). |
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(a-4) The department may promote visits and enhance revenue |
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at parks, including amounts necessary for salaries, advertising, |
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consumable supplies and materials, promotional products, fees, and |
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related expenses. |
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SECTION 2. Section 42.012, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) The commission shall waive the fee for a resident who is |
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a first responder who: |
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(1) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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service as a first responder; or |
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(2) has a disability connected to service as a first |
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responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower extremity or |
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of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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(d) In this section: |
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(1) "First responder" means: |
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(A) a firefighter certified by the Texas |
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Commission on Fire Protection or by the State Firefighters' and |
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Fire Marshals' Association of Texas; |
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(B) an individual certified as emergency medical |
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services personnel by the Department of State Health Services; |
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(C) a municipal police officer; |
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(D) a sheriff, deputy sheriff, or reserve deputy |
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sheriff; or |
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(E) a constable, deputy constable, or reserve |
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deputy constable. |
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(2) "Qualified veteran with a disability" means a |
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veteran with a service connected disability, as defined by the |
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United States Department of Veterans Affairs, consisting of the |
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loss of the use of a lower extremity or of a disability rating of 50 |
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percent or more and who is receiving compensation from the United |
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States for the disability. |
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SECTION 3. Section 46.004(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The commission shall waive the fee for: |
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(1) a qualified veteran with a disability as defined |
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by Section 42.012; |
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(2) [and for] a resident on active duty as a member of |
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the United States military forces, the Texas Army National Guard, |
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the Texas Air National Guard, or the Texas State Guard; and |
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(3) a resident who is a first responder as defined by |
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Section 42.012 and who: |
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(A) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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service as a first responder; or |
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(B) has a disability connected to service as a |
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first responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower |
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extremity or of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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SECTION 4. Section 50.002, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) The commission shall waive the fee for an annual |
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combination resident hunting and fishing license for a resident |
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who is a first responder as defined by Section 42.012 and who: |
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(1) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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service as a first responder; or |
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(2) has a disability connected to service as a first |
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responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower extremity or |
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of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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SECTION 5. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to |
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Chapters 42, 46, and 50, Parks and Wildlife Code, apply only to a |
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fee charged for a hunting, fishing, or combination hunting and |
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fishing license issued on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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(b) A hunting, fishing, or combination hunting and fishing |
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license issued before the effective date of this Act is governed by |
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the law in effect when the license was issued, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. The Parks and Wildlife |
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Department is not required to issue a refund for any license issued |
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before the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |