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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to revenue generated from and uses of public hunting lands |
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and wildlife management areas. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 81.401, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 81.401. ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT OF AREAS. (a) The |
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department may acquire by donation, purchase, lease, or otherwise, |
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and develop, maintain, and operate, wildlife management areas and |
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public hunting lands. |
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(b) The department [and] may manage, along sound biological |
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lines, wildlife and fish found on any land the department has or may |
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acquire as a wildlife management area. |
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(c) The department may use money from the game, fish, and |
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water safety account to accomplish the purposes of this section. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 81, Parks and Wildlife |
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Code, is amended by adding Sections 81.4011 and 81.4012 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 81.4011. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "public |
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hunting land" means land: |
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(1) owned, leased, or managed by the department, |
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including a wildlife management area; and |
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(2) designated by the director as public hunting land. |
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Sec. 81.4012. APPLICABILITY TO STATE PARK LAND. This |
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subchapter applies to a state park only: |
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(1) on public hunting land in the park; and |
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(2) on specific dates designated by the department for |
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public hunting activities. |
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SECTION 3. The heading to Section 81.403, Parks and |
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Wildlife Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 81.403. PERMITS; FEES. |
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SECTION 4. Section 81.403, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection |
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(a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a) The department may issue a permit authorizing access to |
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public hunting land or for specific hunting, fishing, recreational, |
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or other use of public hunting land or a wildlife management area. |
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The commission by rule shall prescribe the conditions for the |
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issuance and use of a permit under this section. |
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(a-1) Except as provided by this section [in Subsections (b)
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and (e)], permits for hunting of wildlife or for any other use in |
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wildlife management areas or public hunting lands shall be issued |
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by the department to applicants by means of a fair method of |
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distribution subject to limitations on the maximum number of |
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permits to be issued. |
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(c) The department shall charge a permit fee in the amount |
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set by the commission by rule. Revenue from permit fees for access |
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to state parks must be deposited to the credit of the state parks |
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account. Revenue from other permit fees under this section must be |
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deposited to the game, fish, and water safety account. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 62.064 and 62.065, Parks and Wildlife |
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Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |