By:  Brown                                             S.B. No. 569
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the management and control of feral hogs.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Parks and Wildlife
    1-4  Code, is amended by adding Section 12.028 to read as follows:
    1-5        Sec. 12.028.  MANAGEMENT OF FERAL HOGS.  (a)  The department
    1-6  shall develop and administer a feral hog management program to
    1-7  reduce and control the population of feral hogs and to protect
    1-8  wildlife and agricultural resources from depredation by feral hogs.
    1-9        (b)  In managing feral hogs under the program developed under
   1-10  this section, the department may:
   1-11              (1)  disseminate information pertaining to reduction
   1-12  and control of feral hog populations;
   1-13              (2)  conduct scientific investigations and surveys of
   1-14  feral hogs for population reduction;
   1-15              (3)  research and manage feral hogs;
   1-16              (4)  restrict the release of trapped feral hogs back
   1-17  into the wild;
   1-18              (5)  require inspection and department approval of
   1-19  enclosures used to contain trapped feral hogs;
   1-20              (6)  require a transport permit to transport trapped
   1-21  feral hogs from one location to another;
   1-22              (7)  require trapped feral hogs to be:
   1-23                    (A)  released in the area in which the hogs are
   1-24  trapped; or
    2-1                    (B)  transported to enclosures approved by the
    2-2  Texas Animal Health Commission and the department;
    2-3              (8)  require that feral hogs may be removed from an
    2-4  enclosure only by hunting or under a transport permit to another
    2-5  approved enclosure; and
    2-6              (9)  authorize department employees to harvest feral
    2-7  hogs for population control.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-9  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-10  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-11  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-12  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-13  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-14  passage, and it is so enacted.