| 1 | 1 | | 85R11484 SLB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ashby H.B. No. 2013 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to fee waivers for certain hunting and fishing licenses |
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| 8 | 8 | | for volunteer firefighters. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Sections 42.012(b) and (c), Parks and Wildlife |
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| 11 | 11 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) The commission may set a lower fee or waive the fee or |
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| 13 | 13 | | license requirement for a resident who is under 17 years old, 65 |
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| 14 | 14 | | years old or older, or participating in an event that is sponsored |
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| 15 | 15 | | or cosponsored [co-sponsored] by the [Texas] Parks and Wildlife |
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| 16 | 16 | | Department with the approval of the executive director. The |
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| 17 | 17 | | commission shall waive the fee for: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) a qualified disabled veteran; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) [and for] a resident on active duty as a member of |
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| 20 | 20 | | the United States military forces, the Texas Army National Guard, |
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| 21 | 21 | | the Texas Air National Guard, or the Texas State Guard; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) a volunteer firefighter who has completed at least |
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| 23 | 23 | | one year of continuous service. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) In this section: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) "Qualified disabled veteran" means a veteran with |
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| 26 | 26 | | a service connected disability, as defined by the United States |
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| 27 | 27 | | Department of Veterans Affairs, consisting of the loss of the use of |
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| 28 | 28 | | a lower extremity or of a disability rating of 50 percent or more |
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| 29 | 29 | | and who is receiving compensation from the United States for the |
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| 30 | 30 | | disability. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) "Volunteer firefighter" means a member of a fire |
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| 32 | 32 | | department or firefighting unit who: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (A) actively engages in fire suppression, |
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| 34 | 34 | | rescue, pump operation, or other firefighting activity; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) receives not more than $5,000 in total |
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| 36 | 36 | | compensation during a tax year from the fire department or |
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| 37 | 37 | | firefighting unit that the firefighter serves. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. Section 46.004(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 39 | 39 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) The commission shall waive the fee for: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) a qualified disabled veteran as defined by Section |
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| 42 | 42 | | 42.012; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) [and for] a resident on active duty as a member of |
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| 44 | 44 | | the United States military forces, the Texas Army National Guard, |
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| 45 | 45 | | the Texas Air National Guard, or the Texas State Guard; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (3) a volunteer firefighter as defined by Section |
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| 47 | 47 | | 42.012 who has completed at least one year of continuous service. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. Section 50.002, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 49 | 49 | | amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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| 50 | 50 | | (c) The commission shall waive the fee for an annual |
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| 51 | 51 | | combination resident hunting and fishing license for a volunteer |
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| 52 | 52 | | firefighter as defined by Section 42.012 who has completed at least |
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| 53 | 53 | | one year of continuous service. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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