1-1 By: Turner of Coleman (Senate Sponsor - Sims) H.B. No. 2494 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1993; 1-3 April 21, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Natural Resources; May 7, 1993, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 2; May 7, 1993, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE 1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent 1-8 Sims x 1-9 Truan x 1-10 Armbrister x 1-11 Barrientos x 1-12 Bivins x 1-13 Brown x 1-14 Carriker x 1-15 Lucio x 1-16 Montford x 1-17 Ratliff x 1-18 Shelley x 1-19 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-20 AN ACT 1-21 relating to the disparagement of agricultural and aquacultural food 1-22 products and creating a cause of action. 1-23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-24 SECTION 1. Title 4, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is 1-25 amended by adding Chapter 85 to read as follows: 1-26 CHAPTER 85. DISPARAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS 1-27 Sec. 85.01. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature hereby 1-28 finds, determines, and declares that the production of agricultural 1-29 and aquacultural food products constitutes an important and 1-30 significant portion of the state economy and that it is beneficial 1-31 to the citizens of this state to protect the vitality of the 1-32 agricultural and aquacultural economy by providing a cause of 1-33 action for producers of perishable agricultural and aquacultural 1-34 food products to recover damages for the disparagement of any 1-35 perishable agricultural or aquacultural food product. 1-36 Sec. 85.02. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-37 (1) "Disparagement" means dissemination to the public 1-38 in any manner of any information that the disseminator knows to be 1-39 false and that states or implies that a perishable agricultural or 1-40 aquacultural food product is not safe for consumption by the 1-41 public. Such information is presumed to be false when not based 1-42 upon reasonable and reliable scientific inquiry, facts, or data. 1-43 (2) "Perishable agricultural or aquacultural food 1-44 product" means any food product of agriculture or aquaculture that 1-45 is sold or distributed in a form that will perish or decay beyond 1-46 marketability within a period of time. 1-47 Sec. 85.03. CAUSE OF ACTION; RECOVERY OF DAMAGES. (a) Any 1-48 producer of perishable agricultural or aquacultural food products 1-49 who suffers damage as a result of another person's disparagement of 1-50 any such perishable agricultural or aquacultural food product has a 1-51 cause of action for damages and any other appropriate relief in a 1-52 court of competent jurisdiction. 1-53 (b) The disparagement of a perishable agricultural or 1-54 aquacultural food product with intent to harm the producer or that 1-55 product shall result in the disseminator of the disparaging 1-56 information being liable to the producer for treble damages. 1-57 Sec. 85.04. LIMITATIONS OF ACTION. Any civil action for 1-58 damages for disparagement of perishable agricultural or 1-59 aquacultural food products shall be commenced within one year after 1-60 the cause of action accrues. 1-61 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-62 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-63 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-64 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-65 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-66 * * * * * 1-67 Austin, 1-68 Texas 2-1 May 7, 1993 2-2 Hon. Bob Bullock 2-3 President of the Senate 2-4 Sir: 2-5 We, your Committee on Natural Resources to which was referred H.B. 2-6 No. 2494, have had the same under consideration, and I am 2-7 instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation 2-8 that it do pass and be printed. 2-9 Sims, 2-10 Chairman 2-11 * * * * * 2-12 WITNESSES 2-13 FOR AGAINST ON 2-14 ___________________________________________________________________ 2-15 Name: Ralph Roming x 2-16 Representing: S.A.F.E. 2-17 City: Round Rock 2-18 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-19 Name: Ken Horton x 2-20 Representing: Tx Pork Producers 2-21 City: Austin 2-22 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-23 Name: Ken Kramer x 2-24 Representing: Sierra Club 2-25 City: Austin 2-26 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-27 Name: Reggie James x 2-28 Representing: Consumers Union 2-29 City: Austin 2-30 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-31 Name: Jerry Walzel x 2-32 Representing: Tx Citrus & Vegetable Assn. 2-33 City: Harlingen 2-34 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-35 Name: Denise Terrell x 2-36 Representing: Tx Assoc. of Dairymen 2-37 City: Austin 2-38 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-39 Name: Stacie Lawson x 2-40 Representing: Tx Farm Bureau 2-41 City: Austin 2-42 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-43 Name: Tommy Engelke x 2-44 Representing: Tx Agricultural Coop Council 2-45 City: Austin 2-46 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-47 Name: Jerry Clark x 2-48 Representing: Assoc. Milk Producers 2-49 City: Arlington 2-50 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-51 Name: James Grimm x 2-52 Representing: Tx Poultry Federation 2-53 City: Austin 2-54 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-55 Name: Ross Wilson x 2-56 Representing: Tx Cattle Feeders Assn. 2-57 City: Amarillo 2-58 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-59 Name: Ralph Roming x 2-60 Representing: S.A.F.E. 2-61 City: Round Rock 2-62 -------------------------------------------------------------------