By:  Sims                                              S.B. No. 971
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the designation of wildlife management areas and to the
    1-2  issuance of wildlife management association area hunting lease
    1-3  licenses.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 43, Parks and Wildlife
    1-6  Code, is amended by adding Section 43.0432 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 43.0432.  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AREA HUNTING
    1-8  LEASE LICENSES.  (a)  The owner of a tract of land included in a
    1-9  wildlife management association area under Section 81.301 of this
   1-10  code may apply for a wildlife management association area hunting
   1-11  lease license for that tract of land.
   1-12        (b)  A wildlife management association area hunting lease
   1-13  license applies only to the tract of land for which it is issued.
   1-14        (c)  Except as inconsistent with this section, this
   1-15  subchapter applies to a wildlife management association area
   1-16  hunting lease license in the same manner that it applies to a
   1-17  hunting lease license.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  Section 43.044, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
   1-19  amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
   1-20        (c)  The fee for a wildlife management association area
   1-21  hunting lease license is:
   1-22              (1)  $30 + $5 per participating landowner if the area
   1-23  of the wildlife management association is less than 10,000 acres;
   1-24              (2)  $60 + $5 per participating landowner if the area
    2-1  of the wildlife management association is between 10,000 and 50,000
    2-2  acres; and
    2-3              (3)  $120 + $5 per participating landowner if the area
    2-4  of the wildlife management association is over 50,000 acres.
    2-5        SECTION 3.  Chapter 81, Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended
    2-6  by adding Subchapter D to read as follows:
    2-7         SUBCHAPTER D.  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AREAS
    2-8        Sec. 81.301.  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AREAS.
    2-9  (a)  The department may designate two or more contiguous or
   2-10  proximate tracts of land as a wildlife management association area
   2-11  if:
   2-12              (1)  each owner of the land applies for the
   2-13  designation;
   2-14              (2)  the land is inhabited by wildlife;
   2-15              (3)  the department determines that observing wildlife
   2-16  and collecting information on the wildlife will serve the purpose
   2-17  of wildlife management in the state; and
   2-18              (4)  the landowners agree to provide the department
   2-19  with information regarding the wildlife under Section 81.302 of
   2-20  this code.
   2-21        (b)  The department shall prescribe the form and content of
   2-22  an application under this section.
   2-23        Sec. 81.302.  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN; COLLECTION OF
   2-24  INFORMATION.  (a)  Before the department may approve an application
   2-25  for designation of a wildlife management association area under
   2-26  this subchapter, the applicants must prepare a wildlife management
   2-27  plan according to department guidelines for wildlife management
    3-1  plans.
    3-2        (b)  The department's guidelines shall require the collection
    3-3  of information on the wildlife that is in a wildlife management
    3-4  association area.
    3-5        (c)  Activities prescribed in the wildlife management plan
    3-6  must be conducted annually to maintain the designation of a
    3-7  wildlife management association.
    3-8        Sec. 81.303.  RULES.  The commission may adopt rules
    3-9  necessary to implement this subchapter.
   3-10        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   3-11        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   3-12  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   3-13  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-14  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-15  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.