Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3607 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R11941 BEE-D
2	2	By: Curry H.B. No. 3607
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the regulation of deer breeding by the Parks and
10	10	Wildlife Department.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 58.002(1), Agriculture Code, is amended
13	13	to read as follows:
14	14	(1) "Agricultural business" means:
15	15	(A) a business that is or proposes to be engaged
16	16	in producing, processing, marketing, or exporting an agricultural
17	17	product;
18	18	(B) an eligible applicant as defined in
19	19	Subchapter E;
20	20	(C) the entity designated to carry out boll
21	21	weevil eradication in accordance with Section 74.1011;
22	22	(D) any agriculture-related business in rural
23	23	areas of Texas including a business that provides recreational
24	24	activities, including hiking, fishing, hunting, or any other
25	25	activity associated with the enjoyment of nature or the outdoors on
26	26	agricultural land;
27	27	(E) a state agency or an institution of higher
28	28	education that is engaged in producing an agricultural product; or
29	29	(F) [a business that holds a permit under
30	30	Subchapter L, Chapter 43, Parks and Wildlife Code; or
31	31	[(G)] any other business in a rural area of this
32	32	state.
33	33	SECTION 2. Section 12.601, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
34	34	amended to read as follows:
35	35	Sec. 12.601. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter
36	36	applies only to the following permits:
37	37	(1) a trap, transport, and transplant permit under
38	38	Section 43.061 or 43.0611;
39	39	(2) a trap, transport, and process permit under
40	40	Section 43.0612;
41	41	(3) [a deer breeder's permit under Subchapter L,
42	42	Chapter 43;
43	43	[(4)] a white-tailed deer management permit under
44	44	Subchapter R, Chapter 43; and
45	45	(4) [(5)] a mule deer management permit under
46	46	Subchapter R-1, Chapter 43.
47	47	SECTION 3. The heading to Subchapter L, Chapter 43, Parks
48	48	and Wildlife Code, is amended to read as follows:
49	49	SUBCHAPTER L. BREEDER DEER [BREEDER'S PERMIT]
50	50	SECTION 4. Section 43.351(1), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
51	51	amended to read as follows:
52	52	(1) "Breeder deer" means a white-tailed deer or mule
53	53	deer legally held under [a permit authorized by] this subchapter.
54	54	SECTION 5. Subchapter L, Chapter 43, Parks and Wildlife
55	55	Code, is amended by adding Section 43.3515 to read as follows:
56	56	Sec. 43.3515. POSSESSION OF BREEDER DEER. A person may
57	57	possess live breeder deer for the purpose of propagation if the deer
58	58	are at all times surrounded by a fence not less than eight feet in
59	59	height.
60	60	SECTION 6. Section 43.361(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
61	61	amended to read as follows:
62	62	(a) A release site onto which breeder deer are liberated
63	63	must be surrounded by a fence not less than eight [seven] feet in
64	64	height that is capable of retaining deer at all times under
65	65	reasonable and ordinary circumstances.
66	66	SECTION 7. Section 43.367, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
67	67	amended to read as follows:
68	68	Sec. 43.367. PENALTY. A [(a) Except as provided by
69	69	Subsection (b), a] person who violates a provision of this
70	70	subchapter [or a regulation of the commission issued under this
71	71	subchapter or who fails to file a full and complete report as
72	72	required by Section 43.359] commits an offense that is a Class C
73	73	Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor.
74	74	[(b) A person who violates Section 43.365(a)(1) commits an
75	75	offense that is a Class A Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor.]
76	76	SECTION 8. Section 43.951, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
77	77	amended to read as follows:
78	78	Sec. 43.951. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only
79	79	to the disposition of [the following deer:
80	80	[(1) deer held at a facility covered by a permit issued
81	81	under Subchapter L;
82	82	[(2)] deer on acreage covered by a permit issued under
83	83	Subchapter R or [; and
84	84	[(3) deer on acreage covered by a permit issued under
85	85	Subchapter] R-1.
86	86	SECTION 9. Sections 43.952(2) and (3), Parks and Wildlife
87	87	Code, are amended to read as follows:
88	88	(2) "Permit" means a permit issued under Subchapter
89	89	[L,] R[,] or R-1.
90	90	(3) "Permit holder" means a person to whom a permit is
91	91	issued under Subchapter [L,] R[,] or R-1.
92	92	SECTION 10. Section 43.955(a), Parks and Wildlife Code, is
93	93	amended to read as follows:
94	94	(a) The applicable permit holder shall pay all costs
95	95	associated with:
96	96	(1) an epidemiological assessment conducted under
97	97	this subchapter to the animal health commission; and
98	98	(2) [except as provided by Subsection (b),] the
99	99	destruction of deer under this subchapter to the department.
100	100	SECTION 11. The following provisions of the Parks and
101	101	Wildlife Code are repealed:
102	102	(1) Sections 43.351(2), (3), (4), (6), and (7);
103	103	(2) Sections 43.352, 43.353, 43.356, 43.3561, 43.357,
104	104	43.358, 43.359, 43.3591, 43.360, 43.362, 43.363, 43.364, 43.365,
105	105	43.366, and 43.369; and
106	106	(3) Sections 43.955(b) and (c).
107	107	SECTION 12. As soon as practicable after the effective date
108	108	of this Act, the Parks and Wildlife Commission shall adopt, amend,
109	109	or repeal rules as necessary to implement the changes in law made by
110	110	this Act.
111	111	SECTION 13. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.