By: Homer, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Harris) H.B. No. 968
(In the Senate - Received from the House March 30, 2009;
April 27, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on
Agriculture and Rural Affairs; May 7, 2009, reported adversely,
with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4,
Nays 1; May 7, 2009, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 968 By: Estes
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use of crossbows for hunting.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 43.201(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c) or (d), no person
may hunt deer, turkey, or javelina (collared peccary) during an
open archery season provided by law or by the proclamations of the
commission and during which season only crossbows, [used by hunters
with upper limb disabilities and] longbows, recurved bows, and
compound bows may be used unless the person has acquired an archery
hunting stamp issued to the person by the department. The
commission by rule may prescribe requirements relating to
possessing a stamp required by this subchapter. In a county that
does not permit hunting with a firearm, a hunter may use a crossbow
only if the hunter is a person with upper limb disabilities and has
an archery hunting stamp.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a
proceeding regarding hunting with a crossbow that is pending or
filed on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
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