By Farrar H.B. No. 1868
76R6385 SMJ-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to county regulation of the keeping of wild animals.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 240.001, Local Government Code, is
1-5 amended to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 240.001. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "wild animal"
1-7 means a nondomestic animal, including a lion, tiger, ocelot,
1-8 cougar, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, hyena, bear, lesser panda,
1-9 binturong, wolf, ape, elephant, or rhinoceros, that the
1-10 commissioners court of a county determines is dangerous and is in
1-11 need of control in that county.
1-12 SECTION 2. Sections 240.002 and 240.0025, Local Government
1-13 Code, are amended and reenacted as Section 240.002 to read as
1-14 follows:
1-15 Sec. 240.002. REGULATION. [(a) The commissioners court of
1-16 a county by order may prohibit or regulate the keeping of a wild
1-17 animal:]
1-18 [(1) at a residence; or]
1-19 [(2) within 1,000 feet of a residence or public
1-20 school.]
1-21 [(b) The order does not apply inside the limits of a
1-22 municipality.]
1-23 [Sec. 240.0025. REGULATION.] (a) The commissioners court
1-24 of a county by order may prohibit or regulate the keeping of a wild
2-1 animal in the county.
2-2 (b) The order does not apply:
2-3 (1) inside the limits of a municipality; or
2-4 (2) to an exhibitor licensed under the Animal Welfare
2-5 Act (7 U.S.C. Section 2131 et seq.).
2-6 [(c) In this section, "wild animal" means a lion, tiger,
2-7 ocelot, cougar, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, hyena, bear, lesser
2-8 panda, binturong, wolf, ape, elephant, and rhinoceros.]
2-9 SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 240, Local Government Code,
2-10 is amended by adding Section 240.0025 to read as follows:
2-11 Sec. 240.0025. FEES. (a) The commissioners court of a
2-12 county may establish a fee for each wild animal regulated under
2-13 this subchapter to recover the costs associated with that
2-14 regulation. The fee may be collected only from the person who keeps
2-15 a wild animal subject to this subchapter.
2-16 (b) The total fees may not exceed $500 for a person,
2-17 regardless of the number of wild animals the person keeps.
2-18 (c) The county may use the fees collected under this section
2-19 only for the purpose of administering this subchapter.
2-20 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-25 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-26 passage, and it is so enacted.