LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 2, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on
               State Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB235  by Harris (Relating to the regulation of dangerous
               wild animals; imposing civil and criminal penalties.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would require the Board of Health to establish rules regarding
caging requirements and standards for keeping and confining dangerous
wild animal and to adopt the rules no later than December 1, 2001.
According to the Department of Health, any administrative costs the
department may incur in implementing the provisions of the bill would be
absorbed within its existing resources.
  
Local Government Impact
  
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. The bill would
also authorize each city and county to establish and charge reasonable
fees to pay for the cost of administration and enforcement. 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.

Cities, counties and county sheriffs would incur costs from issuing
certificates of registration, conducting inspections, and keeping track
of the sale or death of dangerous wild animals. Cities and counties would
be authorized to charge reasonable fees for application and renewal to
pay the costs of administration and enforcement.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts contacted the Texas Association
of Counties, the Texas Municipal League, the Sheriffs Association of
Texas, the Texas Department of Health, the counties of Harris and Dallas,
the cities of Austin and Fort Worth, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department for the purpose of estimating the local fiscal impact of the
bill.

Entities contacted indicated there may be some administrative costs that
may not be offset by fees to initially establish the program, but
afterward, operational costs would be recouped by the fees. Most cities
do not allow dangerous wild animals within their city limits; therefore,
cities may not be impacted.
  
  
Source Agencies:   501   Texas Department of Health, 302   Office of the
                   Attorney General
LBB Staff:         JK, RB, RM, DB