1-1     By:  Woolley (Senate Sponsor - Brown)                  H.B. No. 520

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House March 12, 1997;

 1-3     March 13, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Natural Resources; April 4, 1997, reported favorably by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 4, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to menhaden boat licenses.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Section 47.008, Parks and Wildlife Code, is

1-11     amended to read as follows:

1-12           Sec. 47.008. MENHADEN BOAT LICENSES [LICENSE].  (a)  A boat

1-13     may not be used for the purpose of catching, storing, and

1-14     transporting  menhaden in tidal water unless the owner of the boat

1-15     has acquired a Class A menhaden boat license.

1-16           (b)  A boat may not be used for the purpose of assisting in

1-17     catching menhaden in tidal water unless the owner of the boat has

1-18     acquired a Class B menhaden boat license.

1-19           (c)  The license fee for each Class A menhaden boat is $2,000

1-20     or an amount set by the commission, whichever amount is more, for

1-21     each yearly period.

1-22           (d)  The commission shall set the license fee for each Class

1-23     B menhaden boat for each yearly period in an amount not to exceed

1-24     $50.

1-25           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-26           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-28     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-29     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-30     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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