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TPWD briefs commission on 89th Legislature: budget negotiations, oyster funding and rulemaking authority
Summary
The department told commissioners it is monitoring conference committee activity for its $198 million exceptional-item request, noted a $20.8 million sporting‑goods sales‑tax allocation, and asked permission to publish rules to implement bills passed this session, including changes affecting oyster cultivation.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director David J. Jaskowitz told the commission on May 21 that the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature was nearing adjournment and that several budget and statutory matters of consequence to TPWD remained under negotiation.
Jaskowitz said the legislature must complete a budget, leaving many items “to be determined” while conference committees reconcile House and Senate differences. He said the department’s request for exceptional items totaled about $198 million and that the House and Senate proposals differed; TPWD staff are engaged with both appropriations panels.
The executive director said two items previously discussed would likely appear as supplemental appropriations on the House side: funding for capital transportation vehicles (non–law-enforcement vehicles) and critical capital repairs to TPWD headquarters.
Jaskowitz reported the comptroller identified an unexpected $20.8 million in sporting‑goods sales‑tax receipts since the department submitted its legislative appropriations request; TPWD submitted plans for that revenue to House Appropriations and Senate Finance and expects those funds to help park expansion and hiring.
On land-acquisition authority, Jaskowitz said the department is seeking statutory permission to carry forward unexpended balances tied to a prior $125 million land-acquisition appropriation; he estimated TPWD might need authority to carry about $600,000 forward because it will not spend all appropriated funds this biennium.
He described an oyster-license buyback authority the department currently holds: TPWD has $1.5 million available for buybacks in the current biennium and asked for authority to carry unexpended balances forward and for an additional $1.5 million in the next biennium. Jaskowitz said the oyster item is a priority on the Senate side.
Jaskowitz reviewed bills TPWD is tracking. He said some bills had been signed by the governor, including one that allows placement of cultured oyster seed on private and restoration leases as well as wild leases — a change from prior statute — and a bill clarifying saltwater‑stamp proceeds be appropriated to TPWD for hatchery and enhancement programs. He said other bills of interest still awaited action, including increased penalties for oyster‑borer violations, consolidation of certain nonresident hunting licenses (to support digital licensing efforts), and disclosure rules for certain harvest reports.
Because several bills that affect TPWD will take effect Sept. 1, Jaskowitz asked the commission to authorize agency staff to publish proposed rules in the Texas Register to implement legislation from the 89th Legislature. Chairman Hildebrand responded, “If no further questions, I'll authorize staff to publish the rules in the Texas register.”
The commission did not take a separate recorded roll-call vote in the work session on the publication authorization; the chair stated he would authorize staff to proceed and staff indicated they would return with rule proposals for the formal agenda.
