85R9300 AAF-D
 
  By: Nevárez H.B. No. 1891
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe
  of Texas hunting certain deer.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 42.001(1), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (1)  "Resident" means:
                     (A)  an individual who has resided continuously in
  this state for more than six months immediately before applying for
  a hunting license;
                     (B)  a member of the United States armed forces on
  active duty;
                     (C)  a dependent of a member of the United States
  armed forces on active duty;
                     (D)  if approved by the director, a terminally ill
  individual who is participating in an event sponsored by a
  charitable nonprofit organization; [or]
                     (E)  a member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of
  Texas who possesses documentation of membership sanctioned by the
  Bureau of Indian Affairs; or 
                     (F)  a member of any other category of individuals
  that the commission by regulation designates as residents.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.021, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.021.  TAKING WILDLIFE RESOURCES PROHIBITED. (a)  
  Except as provided by Subsection (b) or permitted under a
  proclamation issued by the commission under this chapter, no person
  may hunt, catch, or possess a game bird or game animal, fish, marine
  animal, or other aquatic life at any time or in any place covered by
  this chapter.
         (b)  A documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of
  Texas who holds a license under Section 42.002 may hunt antlerless
  white-tailed deer for religious ceremonial purposes on any day of
  the year between one-half hour before sunrise and one-half hour
  after sunset. A documented member of the Kickapoo Traditional
  Tribe of Texas hunting antlerless white-tailed deer under this
  subsection shall:
               (1)  comply with all other provisions of this code and
  proclamations adopted under this code; and
               (2)  notify a local game warden, deputy game warden, or
  special game warden at least 24 hours before hunting antlerless
  white-tailed deer at a time of the year when a person who holds a
  license under Section 42.002 but who is not a documented member of
  the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas may not hunt antlerless
  white-tailed deer.
         SECTION 3.  Section 61.057(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Section 61.021 and [in] Subsection
  (c) [of this section], no person may hunt an antlerless deer or
  antelope in this state without first having acquired an antlerless
  deer or antelope permit issued by the department on a form provided
  by the department.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2017.