| 1 | 1 | | 84R22045 SLB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Phelan H.B. No. 1979 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1979: |
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| 4 | 4 | | By: Larson C.S.H.B. No. 1979 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a bag limit exemption for certain participants in |
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| 10 | 10 | | certain fishing tournaments in Chambers, Jefferson, Galveston, |
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| 11 | 11 | | Hardin, Newton, and Orange Counties; authorizing a fee. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Title 7, Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended by |
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| 14 | 14 | | adding Chapter 290 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | CHAPTER 290. CHAMBERS, JEFFERSON, GALVESTON, HARDIN, NEWTON, AND |
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| 16 | 16 | | ORANGE COUNTIES |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 290.001. BAG LIMIT EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTAIN FISHING |
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| 18 | 18 | | TOURNAMENTS. (a) In this section, "fishing tournament" has the |
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| 19 | 19 | | meaning assigned by Section 66.023. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) This section applies only to a fishing tournament that: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) is held on the southern stretches of the Sabine or |
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| 22 | 22 | | Neches River, in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, or in the Gulf of |
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| 23 | 23 | | Mexico as those bodies of water lie within or are adjacent to the |
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| 24 | 24 | | following counties: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (A) Chambers County; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (B) Jefferson County; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (C) Galveston County; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (D) Hardin County; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (E) Newton County; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (F) Orange County; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) has as its participants only competitors who |
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| 32 | 32 | | attend high school or college. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c) The department shall grant a permit for a bag limit |
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| 34 | 34 | | exemption under this section to a fishing tournament if the |
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| 35 | 35 | | organizer of the fishing tournament submits to the department: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) a complete application on a form supplied by the |
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| 37 | 37 | | department; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) a fee in the amount of $500. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (d) A permit issued under Subsection (c) must state the |
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| 40 | 40 | | terms of the exemption and the dates for which the exemption is |
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| 41 | 41 | | valid. The organizer of the tournament shall distribute a copy of |
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| 42 | 42 | | the permit to all participants. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (e) A permit issued under this section shall allow a |
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| 44 | 44 | | participant in a fishing tournament to count toward the |
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| 45 | 45 | | participant's bag limit for largemouth bass a fish that is smaller |
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| 46 | 46 | | than the applicable minimum size limit by not more than two inches |
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| 47 | 47 | | if, at the time the fish are inspected for the purpose of |
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| 48 | 48 | | determining compliance with the bag limit, the participant has in |
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| 49 | 49 | | the participant's possession a copy of the permit. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (f) A fish counted under this section must be released after |
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| 51 | 51 | | weighing. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (g) The commission shall adopt rules to implement this |
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| 53 | 53 | | section. |
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| 54 | 54 | | (h) The department shall deposit money received for the |
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| 55 | 55 | | purchase of a permit under Subsection (c) to the credit of the game, |
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| 56 | 56 | | fish, and water safety account. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 290, Parks and Wildlife Code, as added by |
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| 58 | 58 | | this Act, applies only to a fishing tournament held on or after the |
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| 59 | 59 | | effective date of this Act. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 3. (a) The legal notice of the intention to |
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| 61 | 61 | | introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this |
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| 62 | 62 | | Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a |
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| 63 | 63 | | copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies, |
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| 64 | 64 | | officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished |
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| 65 | 65 | | under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313, |
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| 66 | 66 | | Government Code. |
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| 67 | 67 | | (b) The governor, one of the required recipients, has |
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| 68 | 68 | | submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on |
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| 69 | 69 | | Environmental Quality. |
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| 70 | 70 | | (c) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed |
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| 71 | 71 | | its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the |
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| 72 | 72 | | lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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| 73 | 73 | | representatives within the required time. |
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| 74 | 74 | | (d) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this |
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| 75 | 75 | | state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect |
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| 76 | 76 | | to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled |
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| 77 | 77 | | and accomplished. |
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| 78 | 78 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 79 | 79 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 80 | 80 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 81 | 81 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 82 | 82 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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