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SECTION 1. Title 5, Parks
and Wildlife Code, is amended by adding Subtitle F-1 to read as follows:
SUBTITLE F-1. CONTROL OF
RODENTS AND PREDATORY ANIMALS
CHAPTER 87. GRANT PROGRAM
FOR THE CONTROL OF RODENTS AND PREDATORY ANIMALS
Sec. 87.001.
DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Extension
service" means the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
(2) "Political subdivision" means a county,
municipality, special district, river authority, or other governmental
entity created under the authority of the state or a county or
municipality.
(3) "Predatory
animals" includes coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, Russian boars,
and feral hogs.
(4) "Rodents" includes prairie dogs, pocket gophers,
jackrabbits, ground squirrels, rats, and other rodent pests.
Sec. 87.002. GRANT
PROGRAM. (a) The department and the extension service jointly shall create
and administer a grant program to
make grants to political subdivisions
and qualified nonprofit
organizations for the control of rodents
and predatory animals.
(b) The commission, in
consultation with the extension service, shall adopt rules to implement the
grant program, including rules to
govern:
(1) the qualifications
for receiving a grant, including the qualifications for nonprofit
organizations;
(2) grant amounts; and
(3) conditions for the
use of grant money.
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SECTION 1.
DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
(1) "Extension
service" means the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
(2) "Predatory
animals" means coyotes and
feral hogs.
SECTION 2. PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) The Parks and Wildlife Department and the extension service jointly
shall create and administer a pilot
program to make grants for the control of predatory animals to a county or a nonprofit organization located or operating in a county that:
(1)
has a population less than 3,000;
(2)
contains a state natural area; and
(3)
is adjacent to two counties that border the United Mexican States.
(b) The Parks and Wildlife
Commission, in consultation with the extension service, shall adopt rules
to implement the pilot program, including
rules to govern:
(1) the qualifications for
receiving a grant, including the qualifications for nonprofit
organizations;
(2) grant amounts; and
(3) conditions for the use
of grant money.
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SECTION 2. Section
11.043(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended to read as follows:
(c) Except as provided by
Subsection (d), money in the account may be spent only for acquisition and
development, maintenance, or operation of parks, fisheries, and wildlife
projects that have been individually approved by the commission. Projects
that directly provide hunting, fishing, or outdoor recreation opportunity
to the public shall be given preference for funding under this section.
Approved projects may include:
(1) acquiring land or
facilities for use in any department program;
(2) developing and improving
any land or facility owned or controlled by the department;
(3) servicing the debt on
Texas park development bonds issued under Article III, Section 49-e, of the
Texas Constitution or any other bonds issued for parks, fisheries, or
wildlife projects;
(4) local park grants in
Chapter 24 of this code;
(5) initiating or
participating in partnerships to enhance conservation of historical,
cultural, or natural resources;
(6) operational and
maintenance costs in association with any parks, fisheries, wildlife
projects, or department law enforcement efforts in support of this code; [and]
(7) meeting the requirements
for providing matching money for any federal grants for parks, fisheries,
or wildlife projects; and
(8) controlling rodents
and predatory animals under Chapter 87.
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No
equivalent provision.
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SECTION 3. Section 151.801,
Tax Code, is amended by amending Subsection (c-1) and adding Subsection
(c-2) to read as follows:
(c-1) Except as provided by
this subsection, the comptroller may not credit to the Parks and Wildlife
Department or the Texas Historical Commission any amounts under this
section that are in excess of the amounts appropriated to the department or
commission for that biennium. In addition to amounts appropriated to the
Parks and Wildlife Department from the proceeds described by Subsection (c):
(1) [,] the
comptroller shall transfer to appropriate department accounts amounts from
those proceeds sufficient to fund the state contributions for employee
benefits of Parks and Wildlife Department employees whose salaries or wages
are paid from department accounts receiving the transfers; and
(2) the comptroller shall
transfer $500,000 in each state fiscal year to the credit of the parks and
wildlife conservation and capital account.
(c-2) Money transferred
under Subsection (c-1)(2) may be appropriated only for the purpose of
controlling rodents and predatory animals as authorized by Chapter 87,
Parks and Wildlife Code.
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No
equivalent provision.
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