LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

May 4, 2007

TO:	Honorable Harvey Hilderbran, Chair, House Committee on Culture, Recreation, & Tourism
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB3844 by Hilderbran (Relating to the discharge of certain weapons in or on the beds or banks of navigable rivers or streams in certain counties; providing a criminal penalty.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Chapter 284, Parks and Wildlife Code, to add Irion, Kimble, and Mason counties to those counties in which a person may not discharge a firearm or shoot an arrow in or on the beds or banks of navigable rivers or streams. The bill would also make changes to the list of exceptions regarding the prohibition of discharging a firearm or shooting an arrow.

Under current statute, the prohibition of discharging a firearm or shooting an arrow in or on the beds or banks of navigable rivers or streams does not apply to the discharge of a shotgun loaded with ammunition that releases only shot when discharged. However, under the proposed change in statute, the discharge of a shotgun in or on the beds of banks of navigable rivers or streams in Dimmit, Uvalde, or Zavala counties would be permitted only if the person is hunting migratory birds or certain game animals. In addition, the prohibition of shooting an arrow would not apply to bow fishing in Dimmit, Uvalde, or Zavala counties.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.

Local Government Impact

Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, WK, DB