Sec. 66.023. FRAUD IN FISHING TOURNAMENTS. (a) In this section, "fishing tournament" means a contest in which a prize is to be awarded to one or more participants in the contest based on the weight, length, number, or type of fish caught by the participants or based on any other criteria applicable to the fish caught.
(b) A person commits an offense if, with intent to affect the outcome of a fishing tournament:
(1) the person provides, offers to provide, sells, or offers to sell a fish to a participant in the tournament for the purpose of representing that the fish was caught by the participant in the course of the tournament;
(2) the person, as a participant in the tournament, accepts or agrees to accept a fish from another person for the purpose of representing that the fish was caught by the participant in the course of the tournament;
(3) the person, as a participant in the tournament, represents that a fish was caught by the person in the course of the tournament when in fact the fish was not caught by that person or the fish was not caught in the course of that tournament;
(4) the person alters the length or weight of a fish for the purpose of representing that the fish as entered in the tournament was that length or weight when caught; or
(5) the person enters a fish in the tournament that was taken in violation of any provision of this code or a proclamation or regulation of the commission adopted under this code.
(c) A person commits an offense if the person sponsors or conducts a fishing tournament and knows of the occurrence in the tournament of activity prohibited by Subsection (b) of this section and does not immediately notify a law enforcement officer commissioned by the director of its occurrence.
(d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except that if the offense occurred during a tournament in which any prize or combination of prizes to be awarded for any one category for which an award is given, whether the prize or prizes are to an individual or a team, is worth $10,000 or more in money or goods, the offense is a felony of the third degree.
Transferred, redesignated and amended from Parks and Wildlife Code, Section 66.119 by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 114 (H.B. 1806), Sec. 1, eff. May 21, 2011.
Structure Texas Statutes
Title 5 - Wildlife and Plant Conservation
Subtitle B - Hunting and Fishing
Chapter 66 - Fish and Aquatic Plants
Subchapter A. Provisions Applicable to Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing and Aquatic Plants
Section 66.002. Consent to Take Fish From Private Water
Section 66.003. Placing Explosives or Harmful Substances in Water
Section 66.004. Taking of Fish by Electric Shock Prohibited; Exception
Section 66.005. Wilful Destruction of Boat, Seine, or Net
Section 66.006. Possession of Illegal Fishing Devices
Section 66.007. Exotic Harmful or Potentially Harmful Fish and Shellfish
Section 66.0071. Removal of Harmful Aquatic Plants
Section 66.0072. Exotic Harmful or Potentially Harmful Aquatic Plants
Section 66.0073. Rules Requiring Water to Be Drained
Section 66.008. Fishing From Bridge
Section 66.009. Navigation Districts
Section 66.0091. Fishing in Certain Man-Made Waterways
Section 66.011. Leaving Fish to Die
Section 66.013. Federal Grants
Section 66.014. Identification of Vehicle Transporting Aquatic Products
Section 66.015. Introduction of Fish, Shellfish, and Aquatic Plants
Section 66.016. Commercial Fishing Regulations Applicable if Commercial Plates on Board
Section 66.017. License, Tag, and Permit Expirations and Transfers
Section 66.018. Crab Trap Tags
Section 66.019. Statistical Reports
Section 66.020. Sale and Purchase of Protected Fish
Section 66.021. Protected Fish: Display of Documents
Section 66.022. Purchase for Evidence