Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3271 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Guillen H.B. No. 3271
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the creation of a deer management program commission.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Chapter 63, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, is
9	9	amended by adding Section 63.003, to read as follows:
10	10	Section 63.003. DEER MANAGEMENT COMMISSION. (a) In this
11	11	section:
12	12	(1) "Commission" means the deer management
13	13	commission;
14	14	(2) "Deer" means a white-tailed deer or mule deer;
15	15	(3) "Department" means the Parks and Wildlife
16	16	Department.
17	17	(b) The commission is composed of the following nineteen
18	18	members:
19	19	(1) two veterinarians who are members of the Texas
20	20	Deer Association, one whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the
21	21	house of representatives and one whom shall be appointed by the
22	22	lieutenant governor;
23	23	(2) two wildlife biologists who are members of the
24	24	Texas Deer Association, one whom shall be appointed by the speaker
25	25	of the house of representatives and one whom shall be appointed by
26	26	the lieutenant governor;
27	27	(3) two veterinarians who are members of the Texas
28	28	Wildlife Association, one whom shall be appointed by the speaker of
29	29	the house of representatives and one whom shall be appointed by the
30	30	lieutenant governor;
31	31	(3) two wildlife biologists who are members of the
32	32	Texas Wildlife Association, one whom shall be appointed by the
33	33	speaker of the house of representatives and one whom shall be
34	34	appointed by the lieutenant governor;
35	35	(4) two representatives from the Texas Parks and
36	36	Wildlife Department;
37	37	(4) two representatives from the Texas Animal Health
38	38	Commission;
39	39	(5) two representatives from Texas A&M University, one
40	40	whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of
41	41	representatives and one whom shall be appointed by the lieutenant
42	42	governor;
43	43	(6) two representatives of Texas A&M University -
44	44	Kingsville, one whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house
45	45	of representatives and one whom shall be appointed by the
46	46	lieutenant governor;
47	47	(7) two representatives of Texas Tech University, one
48	48	whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of
49	49	representatives and one whom shall be appointed by the lieutenant
50	50	governor; and
51	51	(8) the governor shall appoint a member of the public
52	52	who has demonstrated a high knowledge of deer management to serve as
53	53	the chair of the commission. The chair may not be a member of the
54	54	Texas Deer Association or the Texas Wildlife Association.
55	55	(c) The commission shall study and make recommendations
56	56	regarding deer management practices for both white-tailed and mule
57	57	deer, including:
58	58	(1) study and determine exact pharmaceutical
59	59	withdrawal periods;
60	60	(2) study and develop guidelines for the denial and
61	61	review of deer breeder permits;
62	62	(3) study and recommend practices for the
63	63	identification of breeder deer;
64	64	(4) study and recommend practices for captivity of
65	65	breeder deer;
66	66	(5) study and recommend practices for the transfer of
67	67	breeder deer;
68	68	(6) study and recommend practices for the sale of game
69	69	meat;
70	70	(7) study and recommend practices for the trapping of
71	71	deer;
72	72	(8) recommend guidelines for the notification and
73	73	appeal process regarding the depopulation of some or all of a deer
74	74	breeder's herd; and
75	75	(9) recommend a date for the release of breeder deer
76	76	prior to an open hunting season.
77	77	(d) A commission member is not entitled to compensation for
78	78	the services provided as a commission member. A commission member
79	79	may receive reimbursement for the member's actual and necessary
80	80	expenses incurred in performing commission duties.
81	81	(e) The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas
82	82	Animal Health Commission shall use existing resources to conduct
83	83	the study.
84	84	(f) The commission may solicit and accept donations from
85	85	private and public sources for the purpose of this section.
86	86	(g) The commission shall meet at the call of the presiding
87	87	officer and may hold additional meetings by telephone conference
88	88	call if necessary.
89	89	(h) The commission shall hold at least three public hearings
90	90	in locations selected by the commission to provide interested
91	91	persons an opportunity to appear and speak on any subject relating
92	92	to the powers and duties of the commission.
93	93	(i) Not later than January 1, 2017, the commission shall
94	94	provide the department, the legislature, and the governor, a final
95	95	report on deer management recommendations.
96	96	(j) Not later than January 1, 2019, the commission shall
97	97	provide the department, the legislature, and the governor, a final
98	98	report on the implementation of deer management practices.
99	99	(k) This Section expires and the commission is abolished on
100	100	June 1, 2019.
101	101	(l) Not later than December 1, 2015, the governor shall
102	102	appoint the chair of the commission, the speaker of the house of
103	103	representatives, and the lieutenant governor shall appoint the
104	104	members of the commission created under this section.
105	105	(m) The commission is subject to Chapters 551 and 552,
106	106	Government Code.
107	107	SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
108	108	immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
109	109	elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
110	110	Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
111	111	immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.