| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Negative |
Estimated Two-year Net
Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB 3481, As Introduced: an impact of $0 through the
biennium ending August 31, 2017.
The bill would make no
appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds
to implement the provisions of the bill.
HB 3481 would allow the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
(TPWD) to waive or lower the fishing license fee for nonresidents over the age
of 65. Additionally this legislation would require TPWD to waive the fee for
residents over the age of 65.
This bill would allow TPWD to give preferential treatment to
certain groups of people. For this reason, we oppose HB 3481 because it would
undermine the individual liberty of all other groups that are excluded from this
waived or lowered fee. The government should either set fees at rates that are reasonable for all classes of people or abolish the fees altogether rather than conferring special benefits on preferred classes of citizens.