1-1     By:  Uher, Crownover (Senate Sponsor - Madla)         H.B. No. 3262
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 1999;
 1-3     May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on State
 1-4     Affairs; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to information in a rabies vaccination certificate or in a
 1-9     county or municipal registry of dogs and cats; providing criminal
1-10     penalties.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 826, Health and Safety
1-13     Code, is amended by adding Section 826.0211 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 826.0211.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION IN
1-15     RABIES VACCINATION CERTIFICATE; CRIMINAL PENALTY.  (a)  Information
1-16     that is contained in a rabies vaccination certificate that
1-17     identifies or tends to identify the owner or an address, telephone
1-18     number, or other personally identifying information of the owner of
1-19     the vaccinated animal is confidential and not subject to disclosure
1-20     under Chapter 552, Government Code.
1-21           (b)  The information may be disclosed only to a governmental
1-22     entity for purposes related to the protection of public health and
1-23     safety. A governmental entity that receives the information,
1-24     including a county or municipality that registers dogs and cats
1-25     under Subchapter D, must maintain the confidentiality of the
1-26     information, may not disclose the information under Chapter 552,
1-27     Government Code, and may not use the information for a purpose that
1-28     does not directly relate to the protection of public health and
1-29     safety.
1-30           (c)  A person commits an offense if the person distributes
1-31     information that is confidential under this section. An offense
1-32     under this subsection is a misdemeanor punishable by:
1-33                 (1)  a fine of not more than $1,000;
1-34                 (2)  confinement in the county jail for not more than
1-35     180 days; or
1-36                 (3)  both the fine and confinement.
1-37           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 826, Health and Safety
1-38     Code, is amended by adding Section 826.0311 to read as follows:
1-39           Sec. 826.0311.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION IN DOG
1-40     AND CAT REGISTRY; CRIMINAL PENALTY.  (a)  Information that is
1-41     contained in a municipal or county registry of dogs and cats under
1-42     Section 826.031 that identifies or tends to identify the owner or
1-43     an address, telephone number, or other personally identifying
1-44     information of the owner of the registered dog or cat is
1-45     confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552,
1-46     Government Code.
1-47           (b)  The information may be disclosed only to a governmental
1-48     entity for purposes related to the protection of public health and
1-49     safety. A governmental entity that receives the information must
1-50     maintain the confidentiality of the information, may not disclose
1-51     the information under Chapter 552, Government Code, and may not use
1-52     the information for a purpose that does not directly relate to the
1-53     protection of public health and safety.
1-54           (c)  A person commits an offense if the person distributes
1-55     information that is confidential under this section. An offense
1-56     under this subsection is a misdemeanor punishable by:
1-57                 (1)  a fine of not more than $1,000;
1-58                 (2)  confinement in the county jail for not more than
1-59     180 days; or
1-60                 (3)  both the fine and confinement.
1-61           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. The
1-62     changes in law made by this Act apply only to a disclosure of
1-63     information on or after that date, but the changes in law made by
1-64     this Act apply to information in a rabies vaccination certificate
 2-1     or a county or municipal registry of dogs and cats without regard
 2-2     to whether the information was obtained on, before, or after that
 2-3     date.
 2-4           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
 2-9                                  * * * * *