BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1785 By: Kuempel (Armbrister) Natural Resources 5-17-95 Senate Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Currently, any person 65 years of age or older qualifies for a state parklands passport. The passport is free and allows the holder to enter any state park without payment of an entrance or admission fee. In addition, Texas residents 65 years of age or older, or under 17 years of age, are currently exempt from the fishing license requirement. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1785 restricts the list of persons authorized to apply for a state parklands passport and the benefits of persons issued a passport after August 31, 1995. H.B. 1785 also eliminates the fishing license exemption for persons under 17 years of age, and authorizes the Parks and Wildlife Commission to lower or waive the resident fishing license fee or licensure requirement for person under 17 years of age or 65 years of age or older. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted to the Parks and Wildlife Commission under SECTION 1 (Section 13.018(a), Parks and Wildlife Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 13.018, Parks and Wildlife Code, by amending Subsections (a) and (c), and adding Subsection (d), as follows: (a) Authorizes certain persons to apply to the Parks and Wildlife Department (department) for a state parklands passport (passport), including a resident of this state who is 65 years old or over who has resided in the state for six consecutive months preceding the date of application for a parklands passport, a member of the U.S. armed forces on active duty who is 65 years or older, or any other individual in a category that the Parks and Wildlife Commission (commission) by rule designates as a resident of this state who is 65 years old or over. (c) Entitles the holder of a passport issued on or before August 31, 1995, a person whose birth date is before September 1, 1930, or a veteran described by Subsection (a)(2) to enter any state park without payment of an entrance or admission fee. (d) Authorizes the department to discount or waive a park entrance fee for a resident of this state issued an initial passport after August 31, 1995. Authorizes the vehicle of the holder of an initial passport, when a fee is charged by the department for entrance of a vehicle into a state park, to enter any state park on payment of a lower vehicle entrance fee. Authorizes the department to waive vehicle entrance fees for any state park for the holder of an initial state parklands passport. SECTION 2. Amends Section 46.002(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, as follows: (a) Provides that a fishing license issued under this chapter is not required of a person who is a resident and whose birth date is before September 1, 1930, or who is a nonresident, if the person's birth date is before September 1, 1930, and the person's state of residence grants a similar age exemption to Texas residents. Deletes exemption from the license requirement for persons who are under 17 years of age. SECTION 3. Amends Section 46.004, Parks and Wildlife Code, as follows: (b) Authorizes the commission to establish a lower fee for a resident fishing license or waive the fee or license requirement for a resident who has a general commercial fisherman's license of this state, a resident who is blind, a resident who is a qualified disabled veteran as defined by Section 42.012(c) of this code, a resident or nonresident who is under 17 years old, or a resident or nonresident who is 65 years old or over. Deletes the definition of "disabled veteran." (c) Redesignates existing Subsection (b). (d) Redesignates existing Subsection (c). Deletes language regarding an alien fishing license. (e) Redesignates existing Subsection (d). Authorizes the commission to establish collection and issuance fees for licenses and tags issued under this chapter. Deletes a provisions authorizing the licensing deputy to retain fees. SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 5. Emergency clause.