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.