| 1 | 1 | | 88R7520 MP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hancock S.B. No. 777 |
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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 the issuance of state parklands passports to and a |
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| 8 | 8 | | waiver of certain state park fees for veterans, active duty armed |
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| 9 | 9 | | forces members, and certain family members of a person who died |
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| 10 | 10 | | while serving in the United States armed forces. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 13.018, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by amending Subsections (a), (c), and (e) and adding |
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| 14 | 14 | | Subsection (f) to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a) The following people may apply to the department for a |
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| 16 | 16 | | state parklands passport: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) a resident of this state who is 65 years old or |
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| 18 | 18 | | over who has resided in the state for six consecutive months |
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| 19 | 19 | | preceding the date of application for a parklands passport[, a |
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| 20 | 20 | | member of the United States armed forces on active duty who is 65 |
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| 21 | 21 | | years old or over,] or any other individual in a category that the |
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| 22 | 22 | | commission by rule designates as a resident of this state who is 65 |
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| 23 | 23 | | years old or over; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) a veteran of the armed services of the United |
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| 25 | 25 | | States [who, as a result of military service, has a |
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| 26 | 26 | | service-connected disability, as defined by the Veterans' |
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| 27 | 27 | | Administration, consisting of the loss of the use of a lower |
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| 28 | 28 | | extremity or of a 60 percent disability rating and who is receiving |
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| 29 | 29 | | compensation from the United States because of the disability]; |
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| 30 | 30 | | [and] |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) a member of the United States armed services on |
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| 32 | 32 | | active duty; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) a surviving spouse, parent, child, or sibling of a |
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| 34 | 34 | | person who died while serving in the United States armed forces; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) an individual who has a physical or mental |
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| 36 | 36 | | impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life |
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| 37 | 37 | | activities of the individual. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) The holder of a state parklands passport issued on or |
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| 39 | 39 | | before August 31, 1995, a person whose birth date is before |
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| 40 | 40 | | September 1, 1930, or a person [veteran] described by Subsection |
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| 41 | 41 | | (a)(2), (3), or (4) is entitled to enter any state park without |
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| 42 | 42 | | payment of an entrance or admission fee. When a fee is charged by |
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| 43 | 43 | | the department for entrance of a vehicle into a state park, the |
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| 44 | 44 | | vehicle of the holder of a state parklands passport is exempt from |
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| 45 | 45 | | the fee when the holder is present. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) A state parklands passport issued to a person described |
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| 47 | 47 | | by Subsection (a)(3) is valid for one year from the date of issuance |
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| 48 | 48 | | and may be renewed in the manner prescribed by commission rule. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (f) The commission by rule shall establish eligibility |
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| 50 | 50 | | requirements and privileges available to the holder of a state |
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| 51 | 51 | | parklands passport described by Subsection (a)(5) [(a)(3)]. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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