79R1471 UM-D

By:  Gattis                                                       H.B. No. 834



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to cruelty to cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats.                
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 42.09(a), Penal Code, is amended to read 
as follows:     
	Sec. 42.09.  CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.  (a)  A person commits an 
offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:
		(1)  tortures an animal;                                                      
		(2)  fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, 
care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody;
		(3)  abandons unreasonably an animal in the person's 
custody;               
		(4)  transports or confines an animal in a cruel 
manner;                    
		(5)  kills, seriously injures, or administers poison to 
an animal[, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats,] 
belonging to another without legal authority or the owner's 
effective consent;
		(6)  causes one animal to fight with another;                                 
		(7)  uses a live animal as a lure in dog race training 
or in dog coursing on a racetrack;
		(8)  trips a horse;                                                           
		(9)  injures an animal[, other than cattle, horses, 
sheep, swine, or goats,] belonging to another without legal 
authority or the owner's effective consent;  or
		(10)  seriously overworks an animal.                                          
	SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only 
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.   
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is 
governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and 
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For 
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the 
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was 
committed before that date.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.