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Senate Bill 1839 |
Senate Author: Hinojosa |
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Effective: 9-1-23 |
House Sponsor: Morrison et al. |
Senate Bill 1839 amends the Parks and Wildlife Code to establish that a person commits a Class B Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor offense for the unlawful sale or purchase of shark fins or shark fin products if the person processes in a place of business or restaurant a shark carcass into steaks or fillets and fails to immediately destroy and discard a shark fin in violation of the bill's provisions. The bill, among other provisions, exempts a person who possesses, transports, sells, or purchases a shark fin in accordance with a permit issued by the Parks and Wildlife Department for a bona fide scientific research purpose from the provisions making such conduct an offense. The bill includes advertising for sale a shark fin among the conduct constituting the offense and establishes that for purposes of the prohibited possession of a shark fin for the purpose of sale under existing law, proof that the person possessed a shark fin, other than a shark fin that has been destroyed, in a place of business or restaurant or on any commercial vessel on the waters of this state is prima facie evidence that the person possessed the shark fin for the purpose of sale.