By Brown                                               S.B. No. 133
         76R3251 WP-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to retention of lightening whelks caught in shrimp trawls.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 77.0191, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 77.0191.  RETENTION OF REDFISH, [AND] SPECKLED SEA
 1-7     TROUT, AND LIGHTENING WHELKS.  (a)  No person who is using a trawl
 1-8     for the purpose of taking shrimp may retain a redfish, [or]
 1-9     speckled sea trout, or  lightening whelk caught in the trawl.
1-10           (b)  No person may retain a redfish, [or] speckled sea trout,
1-11     or lightening whelk if the person is on board a boat licensed under
1-12     this  chapter and if there is a shrimp trawl on board the boat.
1-13           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-14     The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense
1-15     committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes
1-16     of this section, an offense is committed before the effective date
1-17     of this Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date.
1-18           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-19     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
1-20     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.