Bill Text: TX HB3279 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the uprooting of seagrass plants; creating an offense.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/13 [HB3279 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB3279-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 3279 | ||
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| relating to the uprooting of seagrass plants; creating an offense. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 66, Parks and Wildlife | ||
| Code, is amended by adding Section 66.024 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 66.024. SEAGRASS PLANTS. (a) In this section, | ||
| "seagrass plant" means a flowering marine plant of the species: | ||
| (1) Cymodocea filiformis, known as manatee grass; | ||
| (2) Halodule beaudettei or Halodule wrightii, known as | ||
| shoal grass; | ||
| (3) Halophila engelmannii, known as star grass or | ||
| Engelmann's seagrass; | ||
| (4) Ruppia maritima, known as widgeon grass; or | ||
| (5) Thalassia testudinum, known as turtle grass. | ||
| (b) A person may not uproot or dig out any rooted seagrass | ||
| plant from a bay bottom or other saltwater bottom area in the | ||
| jurisdiction of this state by means of a propeller, except as that | ||
| uprooting or digging out may be authorized by a commercial license | ||
| or permit issued by the department. | ||
| (c) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that a | ||
| person: | ||
| (1) anchors a vessel within an area containing | ||
| seagrass plants and uproots a seagrass plant; | ||
| (2) uses an electric trolling motor within an area | ||
| containing seagrass plants and uproots a seagrass plant; or | ||
| (3) operates a vessel in a manner consistent with the | ||
| acceleration required to reach and stay on plane. | ||
| (d) A person who violates this section or a proclamation of | ||
| the commission under this section commits an offense that is a Class | ||
| C Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 3279 was passed by the House on May | ||
| 10, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 129, Nays 14, 2 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 3279 on May 23, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 118, Nays 28, | ||
| 2 present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 3279 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 20, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays | ||
| 1. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
