| 1 | 1 | | 88R1737 BEE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Cortez H.B. No. 293 |
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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 waivers for state park entrance fees and hunting and |
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| 8 | 8 | | fishing license fees for certain resident first responders. |
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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. Section 13.015, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by amending Subsection (a-2) and adding Subsection (a-3) to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a-2) The department shall waive the park entrance fee for a |
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| 14 | 14 | | resident as defined by Section 42.001 who is a first responder as |
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| 15 | 15 | | defined by Section 42.012 and who: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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| 17 | 17 | | service as a first responder; or |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) has a disability connected to service as a first |
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| 19 | 19 | | responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower extremity or |
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| 20 | 20 | | of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a-3) The department may promote visits and enhance revenue |
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| 22 | 22 | | at parks, including amounts necessary for salaries, advertising, |
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| 23 | 23 | | consumable supplies and materials, promotional products, fees, and |
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| 24 | 24 | | related expenses. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. Section 42.012, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 26 | 26 | | amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to |
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| 27 | 27 | | read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) The commission shall waive the fee or license |
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| 29 | 29 | | requirement for a resident who is a first responder who: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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| 31 | 31 | | service as a first responder; or |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) has a disability connected to service as a first |
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| 33 | 33 | | responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower extremity or |
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| 34 | 34 | | of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) In this section: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) "First responder" means: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (A) a firefighter certified by the Texas |
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| 38 | 38 | | Commission on Fire Protection or by the State Firefighters' and |
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| 39 | 39 | | Fire Marshals' Association of Texas; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (B) an individual certified as emergency medical |
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| 41 | 41 | | services personnel by the Department of State Health Services; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (C) a municipal police officer; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (D) a sheriff, deputy sheriff, or reserve deputy |
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| 44 | 44 | | sheriff; or |
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| 45 | 45 | | (E) a constable, deputy constable, or reserve |
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| 46 | 46 | | deputy constable. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) "Qualified veteran with a disability" means a |
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| 48 | 48 | | veteran with a service connected disability, as defined by the |
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| 49 | 49 | | United States Department of Veterans Affairs, consisting of the |
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| 50 | 50 | | loss of the use of a lower extremity or of a disability rating of 50 |
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| 51 | 51 | | percent or more and who is receiving compensation from the United |
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| 52 | 52 | | States for the disability. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. Section 46.004(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 54 | 54 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 55 | 55 | | (c) The commission shall waive the fee for: |
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| 56 | 56 | | (1) a qualified veteran with a disability as defined |
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| 57 | 57 | | by Section 42.012; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) [and for] a resident on active duty as a member of |
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| 59 | 59 | | the United States military forces, the Texas Army National Guard, |
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| 60 | 60 | | the Texas Air National Guard, or the Texas State Guard; and |
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| 61 | 61 | | (3) a resident who is a first responder as defined by |
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| 62 | 62 | | Section 42.012 and who: |
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| 63 | 63 | | (A) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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| 64 | 64 | | service as a first responder; or |
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| 65 | 65 | | (B) has a disability connected to service as a |
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| 66 | 66 | | first responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower |
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| 67 | 67 | | extremity or of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 4. Section 50.002, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 69 | 69 | | amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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| 70 | 70 | | (c) The commission shall waive the fee for an annual |
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| 71 | 71 | | combination resident hunting and fishing license for a resident |
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| 72 | 72 | | who is a first responder as defined by Section 42.012 and who: |
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| 73 | 73 | | (1) has completed at least 20 years of continuous |
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| 74 | 74 | | service as a first responder; or |
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| 75 | 75 | | (2) has a disability connected to service as a first |
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| 76 | 76 | | responder consisting of the loss of the use of a lower extremity or |
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| 77 | 77 | | of a disability rating of 50 percent or more. |
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| 78 | 78 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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