| 1 | 1 | | 89R13189 BEE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Patterson H.B. No. 3329 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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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 fee waivers for certain hunting and fishing licenses |
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| 10 | 10 | | for honorably discharged veterans 65 years old or older. |
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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 42.012(b), Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) The commission may set a lower fee or waive the fee or |
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| 15 | 15 | | license requirement for a resident who is under 17 years old, 65 |
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| 16 | 16 | | years old or older, or participating in an event that is sponsored |
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| 17 | 17 | | or co-sponsored by the department with the approval of the |
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| 18 | 18 | | director. The commission shall waive the fee for: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) an honorably discharged veteran of the United |
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| 20 | 20 | | States armed services who is 65 years old or older; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) a qualified veteran with a disability; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) [for] a resident on active duty as a member of the |
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| 23 | 23 | | United States military forces, the Texas Army National Guard, the |
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| 24 | 24 | | Texas Air National Guard, or the Texas State Guard. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. Section 46.004(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 26 | 26 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) The commission shall waive the fee for: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) an honorably discharged veteran of the United |
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| 29 | 29 | | States armed services who is 65 years old or older; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) a qualified veteran with a disability as defined |
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| 31 | 31 | | by Section 42.012; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) [for] a resident on active duty as a member of the |
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| 33 | 33 | | United States military forces, the Texas Army National Guard, the |
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| 34 | 34 | | Texas Air National Guard, or the Texas State Guard. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. Section 50.002, Parks and Wildlife Code, is |
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| 36 | 36 | | amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (c) The commission shall waive the fee for an annual |
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| 38 | 38 | | combination hunting and fishing license for an honorably discharged |
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| 39 | 39 | | veteran of the United States armed services who is 65 years old or |
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| 40 | 40 | | older. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 4. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies |
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| 42 | 42 | | only to a fee charged for a hunting or fishing license issued on or |
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| 43 | 43 | | after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) A hunting or fishing license issued before the effective |
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| 45 | 45 | | date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the license was |
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| 46 | 46 | | issued, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 47 | 47 | | The Parks and Wildlife Department is not required to issue a refund |
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| 48 | 48 | | for any license issued before the effective date of this Act. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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