For the purposes of this section, "vessel" has the meaning assigned by Parks and Wildlife Code, §31.003, and "boat ramp" means a boat ramp, launch area, or any other access point that can be used to access public water, and includes parking areas, parking overflow areas, and any other area in the immediate vicinity of the ramp, launch, or access point where a vehicle, trailer, or vessel may be parked while waiting to launch or retrieve a vessel.

(1) General Provisions. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this section, no person may use any public roadway other than a boat ramp to transport a vessel to or from a public water body to which the provisions of paragraph (3) of this section apply unless all bilges, live wells, and other similar receptacles and systems holding or capable of holding water on board the vessel as a result of immersion in or transfer from the public water body have been drained.

(2) Exceptions. (A) The provisions of paragraph (1) of this section do not apply to: (i) a person travelling on a public roadway via the most direct route to another access point located on the same body of water, provided the beginning and ending of the travel occur within a single 24-hour period; (ii) water contained in marine sanitary systems; (iii) a person in possession of a receptacle containing water and live bait purchased from a commercial bait dealer, provided: (I) the person also possesses a dated receipt, bill of sale, or other written evidence that identifies the name and commercial location of the dealer; and (II) the live bait, if it has come into contact with public water to which the provisions of paragraph (3) of this section apply, is used only on the water body from which the public water was obtained; (iv) government employees or persons under contract to a governmental entity in the performance of official duties that involve the use of a vessel in an emergency response to a threat to human health or safety, or property; or (v) a person who is a participant in a fishing tournament (as defined by Parks and Wildlife Code, §66.023), provided: (I) the tournament fishing activities are restricted to a single public water body on any given day; (II) the weigh-in site is not located on the body of water on which the tournament is held; (III) all water other than water in a live well has been drained from the vessel as required by this section; (IV) the live well is being transported by the most direct route to an official weigh-in location designated by the tournament; (V) the water in the live well is drained or properly disposed of before the vessel leaves the weigh-in location; and (VI) the person in possession of the water in the live well also possesses documentation provided by a fishing tournament representative that bears the participant's name, the date, water body name, tournament name, location and time of the weigh-in, and the name and phone number of a tournament representative. (B) A government employee or persons under contract to a governmental entity may remove water for purposes of testing or analysis from a public water body to which the provisions of paragraph (3) of this section apply; however, the water must be in closed, portable container and all bilges, live wells, motors, and other similar receptacles and systems holding or capable of holding water on board the vessel as a result of immersion in or transfer from the public water body must be drained.

(3) This section applies to all public fresh water in Texas.

Source Note: The provisions of this §57.1001 adopted to be effective December 10, 2013, 38 TexReg 8912; amended to be effective March 23, 2014, 39 TexReg 1933; amended to be effective June 26, 2014, 39 TexReg 4768