Texas Raffle Laws & Non-Profit Organizations
Non-profit organizations in Texas are currently not allowed to sell raffle tickets online. HSC has been involved in the effort to allow Texas-based non-profit organizations to market and sell raffle tickets online, for the past three Texas legislative sessions. A House bill was approved earlier this year. HSC provided testimony in favor of the bill before the Texas House Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee in March. A Senate bill, mirroring the House bill language, is in process. If passed, these changes would allow for fundraising related to raffles on a greater scale. Reach out to your local Representative and let them know you support HB 2138 and your Senator, in support of SB 1582. Status update: The governor has decided to not sign the bill at this time. There may be an opportunity for consideration during the summer 2023 special session.
Lead Ammunition & Tackle Ban on the National Wildlife Refuge System
USFWS Director Martha Williams has decided to reject the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition and not undertake a national rulemaking concerning lead ammunition and tackle on the National Wildlife Refuge System. HSC is in support of H.R. 615 and S. 1185, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2023 to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
UK Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill
The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, currently before the Lords, is intended to ban the import of hunting trophies from a list of around 6000 species (as listed in a European Council Regulation now referred to in the Bill as the Principal Wildlife Trade Regulation). The bill has received approval in the House of Commons and is currently under consideration by the House of Lords.
Research & Management of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
HSC joined other organizations expressing support of $30 million in federal funding for the research and management of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) as part of the FY24 appropriations process. Passage of the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act in the 117th Congress authorized additional annual funding to be divided equally between CWD research and state and tribal CWD management efforts. Though this bill authorized up to $70 million for research and management programming annually, the group is seeking $30 million in FY24 based on demonstrated need in FY23.
