BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1718

By: Guillen

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Certain charitable nonprofit organizations grant the final wishes of terminally ill children and adults, and some of those wishes involve coming to Texas to hunt. Currently, these organizations must often pay a fee to purchase a nonresident hunting license for the hunting trip, as many participants are not residents of Texas. Interested parties note that the fee for a resident hunting license is less than the fee for a nonresident hunting license and they contend that reducing the cost of a hunting license for such participants would allow these organizations to help more individuals or allow an extra family member to join in the trip. H.B. 1718 seeks to address this issue by making such participants eligible for a resident hunting license, if approved by the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife Department.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1718 amends the Parks and Wildlife Code to redefine "resident," for purposes relating to the issuance of a resident hunting license, by adding a terminally ill individual who is participating in an event sponsored by a charitable nonprofit organization, if approved by the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife Department.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.