1-1  By:  Alexander, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Montford)    H.B. No. 1358
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1995;
    1-3  May 12, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
    1-4  May 18, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 10,
    1-5  Nays 0; May 18, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space
    1-9  land used for wildlife management.
   1-10        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-11        SECTION 1.  Section 23.51(7), Tax Code, is amended to read as
   1-12  follows:
   1-13              (7)  "Wildlife management" means actively using land
   1-14  that at the time the wildlife-management use began <on January 1,
   1-15  1992,> was appraised as qualified open-space land under this
   1-16  subchapter<, or that was eligible to be appraised as qualified
   1-17  open-space land under this subchapter,> in at least three <two> of
   1-18  the following ways to propagate a sustaining breeding, migrating,
   1-19  or wintering population of indigenous wild animals <to produce a
   1-20  harvestable surplus of those animals> for human use, including
   1-21  food, medicine, or recreation:
   1-22                    (A)  habitat control;
   1-23                    (B)  erosion control;
   1-24                    (C)  predator control;
   1-25                    (D)  providing supplemental supplies of water;
   1-26                    (E)  providing supplemental supplies of food;
   1-27                    (F)  providing shelters; and
   1-28                    (G)  making of census counts to determine
   1-29  population.
   1-30        SECTION 2.  Section 23.52, Tax Code, is amended by adding
   1-31  Subsection (g) to read as follows:
   1-32        (g)  The comptroller, with the assistance of the Parks and
   1-33  Wildlife Department or the Texas Agricultural Extension Service,
   1-34  shall develop and distribute to each appraisal district guidelines
   1-35  for use by the chief appraiser in determining whether land
   1-36  qualifies under Section 23.51(7) for appraisal under this
   1-37  subchapter.
   1-38        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1996, and
   1-39  applies only to taxes imposed for tax years beginning on or after
   1-40  that date.
   1-41        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-42  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-43  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-44  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-45  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
   1-46                               * * * * *