1-1     By:  Turner of Coleman (Senate Sponsor - Patterson)    H.B. No. 827

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

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

 1-4     Resources; May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to hunting and fishing licenses for certain disabled

 1-9     veterans.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 42.012(b), Parks and Wildlife Code, is

1-12     amended to read as follows:

1-13           (b)  The commission may set a lower fee or waive the fee or

1-14     license requirement for a resident who is under 17 years old, 65

1-15     years old or older, or participating in an event that is sponsored

1-16     or co-sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with the

1-17     approval of the executive director[, or a qualified disabled

1-18     veteran].  The commission shall waive the fee for a qualified

1-19     disabled veteran.

1-20           SECTION 2.  Section 46.004, Parks and Wildlife Code, is

1-21     amended by amending Subsection (b), adding a new Subsection (c),

1-22     and relettering existing Subsections (c)-(e) to read as follows:

1-23           (b)  The commission may establish a lower fee or waive the

1-24     fee or license requirement for:

1-25                 (1)  a resident who has a general commercial

1-26     fisherman's license of this state;

1-27                 (2)  a resident who is blind as defined by Section

1-28     94.001, Human Resources Code;

1-29                 (3)  [a resident who is a qualified disabled veteran as

1-30     defined by Section 42.012(c) of this code;]

1-31                 [(4)]  a resident or nonresident who is under 17 years

1-32     old; or

1-33                 (4) [(5)]  a resident or nonresident who is 65 years

1-34     old or over.

1-35           (c)  The commission shall waive the fee for a qualified

1-36     disabled veteran as defined by Section 42.012.

1-37           (d)  The department may issue a lifetime resident fishing

1-38     license to residents of this state.  The fee for this license is

1-39     $300 or an amount set by the commission, whichever amount is more.

1-40           (e) [(d)]  The nonresident fishing license fee is $15 or an

1-41     amount set by the commission, whichever amount is more.

1-42           (f) [(e)]  The commission may establish collection and

1-43     issuance fees for licenses and tags issued under this chapter.

1-44           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-45           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-46     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-47     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-48     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-49     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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