C.S.H.B. 815 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 815
By: Hupp
State Cultural and Recreational Resources
Committee Report (Substitutued)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The current law does not allow landowners to hunt depredating animals,
such as feral hogs, or to protect their land from such animals without
first purchasing a hunting license from the State of Texas. Feral hogs
have been destroying farmland across the State by causing physical damage
to crops and by creating large divots in the land, which in turn depletes
the monetary value of the property. C.S.H.B. 815 will allow a landowners,
landowners' agents and residents who lease land to take  feral hogs that
are damaging the property. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 815 amends the Parks and Wildlife Code by adding as an exception
that a resident and non resident landowner or landowner's agent or lessee
may take feral hogs causing depredation on the landowner's land without
having acquired a hunting license. 

C.S.H.B. 815 amends the Parks and Wildlife Code by providing that nothing
prevents a landowner or landowner's agent or lessee from taking feral hogs
causing depredation on the landowner's land without having acquired a
permit under the provisions of this bill. 


EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute differs from the original by allowing a landowner or the
landowner's agent to "take" feral hogs causing depredation to the
landowners property without having acquired a hunting license. Whereas,
the original allowed a landowner to "hunt" feral hogs causing depredation
to the landowners property without having acquired a hunting license. The
substitute also provides an exception, not included in the original, for a
nonresident landowner or the landowner's agent to take feral hogs causing
depredation on the nonresident landowner's land without having acquired a
hunting license.