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By:  Garza, et al.                                                H.B. No. 2159



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe 
of Texas hunting certain deer.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 42.001(1), Parks and Wildlife Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
		(1)  "Resident" means:                                                        
			(A)  an individual who has resided continuously in 
this state for more than six months immediately before applying for 
a hunting license;
			(B)  a member of the United States armed forces on 
active duty;            
			(C)  a dependent of a member of the United States 
armed forces on active duty; [or]
			(D)  a member of any other category of individuals 
that the commission by regulation designates as residents; or
			(E)  a member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of 
Texas who possesses documentation of membership sanctioned by the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
	SECTION 2.  Section 61.021, Parks and Wildlife Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 61.021.  TAKING WILDLIFE RESOURCES PROHIBITED.  (a) 
Except as provided by Subsection (b) or permitted under a 
proclamation issued by the commission under this chapter, no person 
may hunt, catch, or possess a game bird or game animal, fish, marine 
animal, or other aquatic life at any time or in any place covered by 
this chapter.
	(b)  A documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of 
Texas who holds a license under Section 42.002 may hunt antlerless 
white-tailed deer for religious ceremonial purposes on any day of 
the year between one-half hour before sunrise and one-half hour 
after sunset.  A documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional 
Tribe of Texas hunting antlerless white-tailed deer under this 
subsection shall:
		(1)  comply with all other provisions of this code and 
proclamations adopted under this code; and
		(2)  notify a local game warden, deputy game warden, or 
special game warden at least 24 hours before hunting antlerless 
white-tailed deer at a time of the year when a person who holds a 
license under Section 42.002 but who is not a documented member of 
the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas may not hunt antlerless 
white-tailed deer.
	SECTION 3.  Section 61.057(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Section 61.021 and [in] Subsection 
(c) [of this section], no person may hunt an antlerless deer or 
antelope in this state without first having acquired an antlerless 
deer or antelope permit issued by the department on a form provided 
by the department.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.