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By:  Rose                                                         H.B. No. 3516



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the immediate qualification of certain land used for 
wildlife management for ad valorem tax appraisal as qualified 
open-space land.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 23, Tax Code, is amended by 
adding Section 23.515 to read as follows:
	Sec. 23.515.  IMMEDIATE QUALIFICATION OF CERTAIN LAND USED 
FOR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT FOR APPRAISAL AS QUALIFIED OPEN-SPACE LAND.  
Land used for wildlife management qualifies for appraisal as 
qualified open-space land under this subchapter without having been 
devoted principally to agricultural use or to production of timber 
or forest products for five of the preceding seven years as required 
by Section 23.51(1) and without having been appraised as qualified 
open-space land under this subchapter at the time the 
wildlife-management use began as required by Section 23.51(7) if 
the land otherwise qualifies under Sections 23.51(7) and 23.521 and 
the land:
		(1)  is contiguous to publicly owned land that is used 
wholly or partly to conserve wildlife, water, or other natural 
resources;
		(2)  is located within an area in which a governmental 
entity has indicated that it intends to acquire land wholly or 
partly to conserve wildlife, water, or other natural resources; or
		(3)  is subject to a conservation easement granted 
under Chapter 183, Natural Resources Code, wholly or partly for the 
conservation of wildlife, water, or other natural resources.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2004, and 
applies only to the ad valorem tax appraisal of land for a tax year 
beginning on or after that date.