By Grusendorf                                         H.B. No. 2131
       74R7266 PAM-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to public hunt drawings.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 11.0271, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
    1-5  amended to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 11.0271.  Public Hunting Drawing; Fees.  (a)  The
    1-7  department may conduct public drawings to select applicants for
    1-8  public hunting privileges.  The department may charge each person
    1-9  who participates in the drawing a nonrefundable participation fee
   1-10  in addition to any fee for issuing a hunting permit or license.
   1-11  The participation fee shall be set by the commission in an amount
   1-12  sufficient to pay the costs of operating the drawing.
   1-13        (b)  The commission may approve participation fees for
   1-14  special hunting programs, packages, or events that exceed the costs
   1-15  of operating the drawing only if the fees charged are designated
   1-16  for use in the management of a specific wildlife program authorized
   1-17  by this code.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  Section 47.02(c), Penal Code, is amended to read
   1-19  as follows:
   1-20        (c)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that
   1-21  the actor reasonably believed that the conduct:
   1-22              (1)  was permitted under the Bingo Enabling Act
   1-23  (Article 179d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
   1-24              (2)  was permitted under the Charitable Raffle Enabling
    2-1  Act (Article 179f, Revised Statutes);
    2-2              (3)  consisted entirely of participation in the state
    2-3  lottery authorized by the State Lottery Act (Section 466.001 et
    2-4  seq., Government Code <Article 179g, Vernon's Texas Civil
    2-5  Statutes>); <or>
    2-6              (4)  was permitted under the Texas Racing Act (Article
    2-7  179e, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes); or
    2-8              (5)  consisted entirely of participation in a drawing
    2-9  for hunting privileges authorized under the Parks and Wildlife
   2-10  Code.
   2-11        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-12  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-13  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-14  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-15  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-16  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-17  passage, and it is so enacted.
   2-18                       COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
   2-19        Amend H.B. 2131 as follows:
   2-20        (1)  On page 1, line 13, strike Subsection (b) and substitute
   2-21  "(b) The commission may approve participation fees, not to exceed
   2-22  $25 per species for each participant on an application, in drawings
   2-23  for special hunting programs, packages, or events that exceed the
   2-24  costs of operating the drawing only if the fees charged are
   2-25  designated for use in the management and restoration efforts of the
   2-26  specific wildlife program implementing each such special hunting
   2-27  program, package, or event.".
    3-1                                                    Turner of Coleman