By:  Sims                                              S.B. No. 971
       73R3486 MLR-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the designation of wildlife management association
    1-3  areas and to the issuance of wildlife management association area
    1-4  hunting lease licenses.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Chapter 81, Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended
    1-7  by adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
    1-8         SUBCHAPTER G.  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AREAS
    1-9        Sec. 81.601.  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AREAS.  (a)
   1-10  The owners of two or more contiguous tracts of land in the state
   1-11  may apply to the department for designation of that land as a
   1-12  wildlife management association area.
   1-13        (b)  The department may designate two or more contiguous
   1-14  tracts of land as a wildlife management association area if:
   1-15              (1)  the land is inhabited by wildlife;
   1-16              (2)  the department determines that the observation of
   1-17  and collection of information on the wildlife will serve the
   1-18  purpose of wildlife management in the state; and
   1-19              (3)  the landowners agree to provide the department
   1-20  with information regarding the wildlife, as required by Section
   1-21  81.602 of this code.
   1-22        (c)  The department shall prescribe the form and content of
   1-23  an application under this section.
   1-24        Sec. 81.602.  COLLECTION OF INFORMATION IN WILDLIFE
    2-1  MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AREAS.  Before the department approves an
    2-2  application for designation of a wildlife management association
    2-3  area under this subchapter, the department and the applicants must
    2-4  enter into a written agreement regarding the collection of wildlife
    2-5  information by the applicants.  The agreement must be signed by the
    2-6  department and the applicants and must specify:
    2-7              (1)  the type of information to be collected;
    2-8              (2)  the reporting form to be used; and
    2-9              (3)  the frequency of reports.
   2-10        Sec. 81.603.  RULES.  The commission may adopt rules
   2-11  necessary to implement this subchapter.
   2-12        SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 43, Parks and Wildlife
   2-13  Code, is amended by adding Section 43.049 to read as follows:
   2-14        Sec. 43.049.  WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AREA HUNTING
   2-15  LEASE LICENSES.  (a)  The owner of each tract of land included
   2-16  within a wildlife management association area designated under
   2-17  Section 81.601 of this code may apply to the department for a
   2-18  wildlife management association area hunting lease license for that
   2-19  tract of land.  A wildlife management association area hunting
   2-20  lease license applies only to the tract of land for which it is
   2-21  issued.
   2-22        (b)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, the
   2-23  provisions of this subchapter relating to a hunting lease license
   2-24  apply to a wildlife management association area hunting lease
   2-25  license in the same manner that they apply to the hunting lease
   2-26  license.
   2-27        (c)  The fee for a wildlife management association area
    3-1  hunting lease license is $10.
    3-2        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    3-3        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.