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House Bill 1965 |
House Author: Darby et al. |
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Effective: 5-29-09 |
Senate Sponsor: Seliger |
House Bill 1965 amends provisions of the Parks and Wildlife Code relating to a permit to control protected wildlife. It requires a person who has evidence of damage to commercial agricultural, horticultural, or aquicultural interests or of a threat to public safety to give written notice of the facts directly to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, rather than to a county judge or mayor, and removes those local officials from the process. The department is authorized, rather than required, to inspect the affected property before issuing a permit unless the notice alleges damage by mule deer, pronghorn antelope, or desert bighorn sheep, in which case an inspection and other actions are required before the permit may be issued. The bill establishes a $50 permit application fee, requires the department to approve or deny an application within 10 business days, requires the permit to specify the number of wildlife authorized to be killed, and expands the acceptable methods of delivering the permit. It transfers responsibility for disposing of the carcass from a game warden or other department employee to the permit holder or person designated to kill the wildlife and prohibits the permit holder or designee from keeping or selling any part of the wildlife, including the antlers. The bill also adds provisions relating to canceling or reinstating a permit, creates a Class C Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor offense for violation of a reporting requirement, and authorizes the department to adopt rules relating to permits to control protected wildlife.