| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to a voluntary donation to the fund for veterans' |
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| 8 | 6 | | assistance when applying for a hunting or fishing license. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 434.017(a), Government Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 9 | | to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | (a) The fund for veterans' assistance is a special fund in |
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| 13 | 11 | | the state treasury outside the general revenue fund. The fund is |
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| 14 | 12 | | composed of: |
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| 15 | 13 | | (1) money transferred to the fund at the direction of |
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| 16 | 14 | | the legislature; |
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| 17 | 15 | | (2) gifts and grants contributed to the fund; |
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| 18 | 16 | | (3) the earnings of the fund; |
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| 19 | 17 | | (4) money transferred to the fund from proceeds of the |
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| 20 | 18 | | lottery game operated under Section 466.027 or transferred to the |
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| 21 | 19 | | fund under Section 466.408(b); |
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| 22 | 20 | | (5) money deposited to the credit of the fund under |
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| 23 | 21 | | Section 502.1746, Transportation Code; [and] |
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| 24 | 22 | | (6) money deposited to the credit of the fund under |
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| 25 | 23 | | Section 521.008, Transportation Code; and |
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| 26 | 24 | | (7) money deposited to the credit of the fund under |
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| 27 | 25 | | Section 12.007, Parks and Wildlife Code. |
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| 28 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Parks and Wildlife |
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| 29 | 27 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 12.007 to read as follows: |
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| 30 | 28 | | Sec. 12.007. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TO FUND FOR VETERANS' |
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| 31 | 29 | | ASSISTANCE. (a) In this section, "veterans fund" means the fund for |
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| 32 | 30 | | veterans' assistance established under Section 434.017, Government |
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| 33 | 31 | | Code. |
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| 34 | 32 | | (b) When a person applies for a hunting or fishing license |
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| 35 | 33 | | of any type, including a combination hunting and fishing license, |
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| 36 | 34 | | under this code, the person may make a voluntary contribution of $1, |
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| 37 | 35 | | $5, $10, or $20 to the veterans fund. |
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| 38 | 36 | | (c) The department shall: |
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| 39 | 37 | | (1) include space on the first page of each |
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| 40 | 38 | | application for a hunting or fishing license that allows a person |
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| 41 | 39 | | applying for the license to indicate that the person is voluntarily |
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| 42 | 40 | | contributing $1, $5, $10, or $20 to the veterans fund; and |
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| 43 | 41 | | (2) provide an opportunity for the person to |
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| 44 | 42 | | contribute $1, $5, $10, or $20 to the veterans fund during the |
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| 45 | 43 | | application process for a hunting or fishing license on the |
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| 46 | 44 | | department's Internet website. |
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| 47 | 45 | | (d) The department shall send any contribution made under |
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| 48 | 46 | | this section to the comptroller for deposit in the state treasury to |
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| 49 | 47 | | the credit of the fund for veterans' assistance not later than the |
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| 50 | 48 | | 14th day of each month. Before sending the money to the veterans |
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| 51 | 49 | | fund, the department may deduct money equal to the amount of |
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| 52 | 50 | | reasonable expenses for developing and administering this section. |
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| 53 | 51 | | SECTION 3. (a) To implement Section 12.007, Parks and |
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| 54 | 52 | | Wildlife Code, as added by this Act, the Parks and Wildlife |
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| 55 | 53 | | Commission shall adopt rules as needed and the Parks and Wildlife |
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| 56 | 54 | | Department shall develop procedures to implement that section not |
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| 57 | 55 | | later than August 1, 2016. |
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| 58 | 56 | | (b) The Parks and Wildlife Department may consult with the |
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| 59 | 57 | | Department of Public Safety for assistance in developing procedures |
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| 60 | 58 | | to implement Section 12.007, Parks and Wildlife Code, as added by |
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| 61 | 59 | | this Act. |
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| 62 | 60 | | SECTION 4. Section 12.007, Parks and Wildlife Code, as |
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| 63 | 61 | | added by this Act, applies only to a license purchased on or after |
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| 64 | 62 | | September 1, 2016. |
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| 65 | 63 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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