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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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Relating to the free admission to state parks for the parents of |
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deceased members of the armed services |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Amend Chapter 13.018, Parks and Wildlife Code, |
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as follows: |
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Sec. 13.018. STATE PARKLANDS PASSPORT. (a) The following |
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people may apply to the department for a state parklands passport: |
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(1) a resident of this state who is 65 years old or |
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over who has resided in the state for six consecutive months |
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preceding the date of application for a parklands passport, a |
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member of the United States armed forces on active duty who is 65 |
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years old or over, or any other individual in a category that the |
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commission by rule designates as a resident of this state who is 65 |
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years old or over; |
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(2) a veteran of the armed services of the United |
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States who, as a result of military service, has a |
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service-connected disability, as defined by the Veterans' |
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Administration, consisting of the loss of the use of a lower |
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extremity or of a 60 percent disability rating and who is receiving |
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compensation from the United States because of the disability; and
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(3) an individual who has a physical or mental |
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impairment activities of the individual. ; and |
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(4) parents of deceased members of the United States |
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Armed Forces, who have fallen in combat. |
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(b) The department shall issue a passport to each qualified |
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applicant. The passport shall be issued on a form designed and |
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provided by the department. |
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(c) The holder of a state parklands passport issued on or |
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before August 31, 1995, a person whose birth date is before |
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September 1, 1930, or a veteran described by Subsection (a)(2) is |
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entitled to enter any state park without payment of an entrance or |
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admission fee. When a fee is charged by the department for entrance |
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of a vehicle into a state park, the vehicle of the holder of a state |
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parklands passport is exempt from the fee when the holder is |
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present. |
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(d) The department may discount or waive a park entrance fee |
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for a resident of this state issued an initial state parklands |
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passport after August 31, 1995. When a fee is charged by the |
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department for entrance of a vehicle into a state park, the vehicle |
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of the holder of an initial state parklands passport may enter any |
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state park on payment of a lower vehicle entrance fee. The |
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department may waive vehicle entrance fees for any state park for |
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the holder of an initial state parklands passport. |
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(e) The commission by rule shall establish eligibility |
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requirements and privileges available to the holder of a state |
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parklands passport described by Subsection (a)(3). |
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(f) The department shall waive a park entrance fee and any |
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vehicle admission fee for the holder of state parklands passport |
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described by subsection (a)(4). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |