LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 26, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on
               State Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1362  by Goodman (Relating to the regulation of
               dangerous wild animals; providing for the imposition of
               civil penalties and the prosecution and punishment of
               certain related offenses.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would set up a new system of regulating dangerous wild animals.
The bill would define an animal registration agency as the city or county
animal control office or county sheriff in an area that does not have an
animal control office. The bill would require a person to obtain a
certificate of registration for dangerous wild animals and within 10 days
of receiving a certificate, filing a copy of the certificate with the
Texas Department of Health (TDH).  TDH would be required to establish a
procedure for filing a certificate of registration and would be required
to charge a reasonable fee to recover the cost associated with processing
the filing.

The bill would also authorize each city and county to establish and
charge reasonable fees to pay for the cost of administration and
enforcement of the regulations. Fees could not exceed $50 per wild
animal.  Persons who do not obtain a certificate of registration would
be liable for a civil penalty of not less than $200 and not more than
$2,000 for each animal. Counties and cities could sue to collect the
penalty, costs of investigation, and attorney fees. The bill would take
effect September 1, 2001. However a person would not be required to
obtain a certificate of registration for a dangerous wild animal before
June 1, 2002.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   501   Texas Department of Health, 304   Comptroller
                   of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, RB, DB