By Hartnett H.B. No. 3250
75R9238 JD-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to dog and cat sterilization and the issuance of Animal
1-3 Friendly license plates.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 828, Health and Safety Code, is amended
1-6 by adding Sections 828.014 and 828.015 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 828.014. ANIMAL FRIENDLY ACCOUNT. (a) The Texas
1-8 Department of Health animal friendly account is a separate account
1-9 in the general revenue fund. The account is composed of:
1-10 (1) money deposited to the credit of the account under
1-11 Section 502.291, Transportation Code; and
1-12 (2) gifts, grants, donations, and legislative
1-13 appropriations.
1-14 (b) The Texas Department of Health administers the account.
1-15 The department may spend money credited to the account:
1-16 (1) only after at least $500,000 has been credited to
1-17 the account; and
1-18 (2) only to:
1-19 (A) make grants to eligible organizations that
1-20 sterilize animals owned by the general public at minimal or no
1-21 cost; and
1-22 (B) defray the cost of administering the
1-23 account.
1-24 (c) The Texas Board of Health:
2-1 (1) may accept gifts, donations, and grants from any
2-2 source for the benefit of the account; and
2-3 (2) by rule shall establish guidelines for spending
2-4 money credited to the account.
2-5 (d) In this section "eligible organization" means:
2-6 (1) a releasing agency;
2-7 (2) an organization that is qualified as a charitable
2-8 organization under Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code, that
2-9 has as its primary purpose:
2-10 (A) animal welfare; or
2-11 (B) sterilizing animals owned by the general
2-12 public at minimal or no cost; or
2-13 (3) a local nonprofit veterinary medical association
2-14 that has an established program for sterilizing animals owned by
2-15 the general public at minimal or no cost.
2-16 Sec. 828.015. ANIMAL FRIENDLY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The
2-17 commissioner of public health shall appoint a seven-member animal
2-18 friendly advisory committee, composed of:
2-19 (1) one person licensed to practice veterinary
2-20 medicine in this state;
2-21 (2) one representative from a private releasing
2-22 agency;
2-23 (3) one representative from a public releasing agency;
2-24 (4) one representative of an animal welfare
2-25 organization;
2-26 (5) two representatives of the general public; and
2-27 (6) one representative from the Texas Department of
3-1 Health.
3-2 (b) The commissioner shall designate one member as presiding
3-3 officer of the committee.
3-4 (c) The committee shall:
3-5 (1) meet at least twice each year or as called by the
3-6 commissioner of health;
3-7 (2) assist the Texas Board of Health in establishing
3-8 guidelines for the expenditure of money credited to the animal
3-9 friendly account; and
3-10 (3) review, and make recommendations to the Texas
3-11 Department of Health on, applications submitted to the department
3-12 for grants funded with money credited to the animal friendly
3-13 account.
3-14 (d) Members of the committee serve without compensation and
3-15 are not entitled to reimbursement for expenses. Each member serves
3-16 a term of two years. The terms of four members expire on January
3-17 31 of each odd-numbered year and the terms of the remaining members
3-18 expire on January 31 of each even-numbered year.
3-19 SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
3-20 is amended by adding Section 502.291 to read as follows:
3-21 Sec. 502.291. ANIMAL FRIENDLY LICENSE PLATES. (a) The
3-22 department shall issue specially designed license plates for
3-23 passenger cars and light trucks that include the words "Animal
3-24 Friendly."
3-25 (b) The department shall issue license plates under this
3-26 section to a person who:
3-27 (1) applies to the county assessor-collector of the
4-1 county in which the person resides on a form provided by the
4-2 department; and
4-3 (2) pays an annual fee of $25, in addition to the fee
4-4 prescribed by Section 502.161, and, if personalized prestige
4-5 license plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by
4-6 Section 502.251.
4-7 (c) Of each fee collected under this section, the
4-8 department:
4-9 (1) shall deposit $20 to the credit of the animal
4-10 friendly account established by Section 828.014, Health and Safety
4-11 Code; and
4-12 (2) may use the remainder only to defray the cost of
4-13 administering this section.
4-14 (d) If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
4-15 disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
4-16 shall return the special license plates to the department.
4-17 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
4-18 SECTION 4. If at least $500,000 has not been deposited to
4-19 the credit of the animal friendly account in the general revenue
4-20 fund, by September 1, 2001:
4-21 (1) Section 502.291, Transportation Code, and Sections
4-22 828.014 and 828.015, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act,
4-23 are repealed; and
4-24 (2) money deposited to the credit of the animal
4-25 friendly account shall be transferred to the undedicated portion of
4-26 the general revenue fund.
4-27 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
5-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.