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
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