By Kubiak                                       H.B. No. 2171

      75R6774 SMH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to an exemption from the requirement of a hunting license

 1-3     for a person who hunts feral hogs on land the person owns.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 42.002, Parks and Wildlife Code, is

 1-6     amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to

 1-7     read as follows:

 1-8           (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (c) [of this

 1-9     section], no resident may hunt any bird or animal in this state

1-10     without having acquired a hunting license.

1-11           (c)  A resident may hunt feral hogs on land the person owns

1-12     without having acquired a hunting license.

1-13           SECTION 2.  Section 42.005, Parks and Wildlife Code, is

1-14     amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to

1-15     read as follows:

1-16           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (f), no [No]

1-17     nonresident may hunt any bird or animal in this state without first

1-18     having acquired a general nonresident hunting license, a

1-19     nonresident special hunting license, or a nonresident five-day

1-20     special hunting license.

1-21           (f)  A nonresident may hunt feral hogs on land the person

1-22     owns without having acquired a general nonresident hunting license,

1-23     a nonresident special hunting license, or a nonresident five-day

1-24     special hunting license.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  (a)  The changes in law made by this Act apply

 2-2     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this

 2-3     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before

 2-4     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs

 2-5     before that date.

 2-6           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this

 2-7     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,

 2-8     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-9           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-14     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-15     passage, and it is so enacted.