By Kuempel                                            H.B. No. 1691
         76R4043 MI-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the Texas parks and wildlife capital account.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 11.043(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (c)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), money in the
 1-7     account may be spent only for acquisition and development or
 1-8     operation of parks, fisheries, and wildlife projects that have been
 1-9     individually approved by the commission.  Projects that directly
1-10     provide hunting, fishing, or outdoor recreation opportunity to the
1-11     public shall be given preference for funding under this section.
1-12     Approved projects may include:
1-13                 (1)  acquiring land or facilities for use in any
1-14     department program;
1-15                 (2)  developing and improving any land or facility
1-16     owned or controlled by the department;
1-17                 (3)  servicing the debt on Texas park development bonds
1-18     issued under Article III, Section 49-e, of the Texas Constitution
1-19     or any other bonds issued for parks, fisheries, or wildlife
1-20     projects;  [and]
1-21                 (4)  local park grants in Chapter 24 of this code;
1-22                 (5)  operational costs in association with any parks,
1-23     fisheries, or wildlife projects; and
1-24                 (6)  meeting the requirements for providing matching
 2-1     money for any federal grants for parks, fisheries, or wildlife
 2-2     projects.
 2-3           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-4           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.