PUC S.B. 201 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


STATE RECREATIONAL RESOURCES
S.B. 201
By: Harris (Glaze)
5-1-97
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND 

State law generally requires a fishing license for adults to fish in the
state.  People with a valid Texas fishing license must also obtain a
special stamp to fish for certain species such as red fish and freshwater
rainbow trout.  The additional stamp allows the Parks and Wildlife
Department to better manage particular resources and provides additional
revenue for the management program.  A similar program is in place for
hunting with the dove and turkey stamp process. 

The revenue from all hunting and fishing licenses, stamps, tags and
several other types of license sold through Texas Parks and Wildlife are
deposited, by law, into the Game, Fish and Water Safety Account within the
General Revenue Fund.  Revenue in that account may be appropriated to the
Department for a wide variety of duties related to hunting, fishing and
water safety. 

State law directs the Department to use the proceeds of most species
stamps and tags to activities related to the management of the species.
For example, state law directs Parks and Wildlife to use the revenue from
the turkey stamp for turkey management programs, revenue from the
saltwater tag for saltwater sportfish management programs, and so on.
However, the current law provides that freshwater trout stamp sale net
receipts may be spent for any purpose authorized by Section 11.033, Parks
and Wildlife Code, relating to use of the Game, Fish and Water Safety
Account. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 201 authorizes freshwater trout stamp sale net receipts
to be spent only for the purchase, rearing, and stocking of freshwater
trout in this state.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 43.505(b), Parks and Wildlife Code, to authorize
stamp sale net receipts to be spent only for the purchase, rearing, and
stocking of freshwater trout in this state instead of for any purposes
authorized by Section 11.033, Parks and Wildlife Code, relating to use of
the Game, Fish, and Water Safety Account.  

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1997.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.