80R11519 ABC-D
 
  By: King of Zavala H.B. No. 971
 
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;
             (2)  notify a local game warden, deputy game warden, or
special game warden at least 24 hours before hunting antlerless
white-tailed deer during an otherwise closed season under the game
laws of this state; and
             (3)  obtain explicit permission from the landowner
before hunting antlerless white-tailed deer during an otherwise
closed season under the game laws of this state on that landowner's
privately owned property.
       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, 2007.