AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Most people who take the Texas boater education course administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWC) access the course online through agents appointed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).  Several agents have expressed concern about the $3 limit on the service fee they are allowed to collect and keep in Texas for providing such a course, which they assert is less than the service fees they collect for similar online courses they offer in other states.  H.B. 3722 seeks to remove the limitation on the service fee an agent may collect in Texas by providing as an alternative to the $3 fee an amount set by TPWC and authorizing the agent to collect and keep whichever is greater.

 

H.B. 3722 amends current law relating to the boater education program of TPWD.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 31.108(f), Parks and Wildlife Code, to provide that an agent appointed to administer a boater education course or course equivalency examination and to issue boater identification cards acting under authority of Subsection (d) (relating to the appointment of agents) is required to collect a $10 examination or course fee and forward the fee and any examination document to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department not later than the 30th day after the date the examination or course is administered, and is authorized to collect and keep a $3 service fee, or an amount set by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, whichever is greater.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.