By: Shapleigh  S.B. No. 689
         (In the Senate - Filed February 15, 2007; February 28, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural
  Affairs and Coastal Resources; April 23, 2007, reported adversely,
  with favorable Committee Substitute from Committee on Natural
  Resources by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 23, 2007,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 689 By:  Hinojosa
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the sale or transport of certain desert plants;
  providing a penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle F, Title 5, Agriculture Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 122 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 122. SALE OF DESERT PLANTS
         Sec. 122.001.  DEFINITION. In this chapter, "desert plant"
  means the following genera of plants:
               (1)  Agave;
               (2)  Ariocarpus;
               (3)  Echinocactus;
               (4)  Echinocereus;
               (5)  Ferocactus;
               (6)  Fouquieria;
               (7)  Mammillaria; and
               (8)  Yucca.
         Sec. 122.002.  ADMINISTRATION. The department shall
  administer this chapter and adopt rules necessary for its
  enforcement.
         Sec. 122.003.  REQUIREMENTS FOR SALE OR TRANSPORT. Unless
  documentation is provided as prescribed by Section 122.005, a
  person may not:
               (1)  sell a desert plant;
               (2)  offer a desert plant for sale; or
               (3)  transport a desert plant out of this state.
         Sec. 122.004.  REGISTRATION REQUIRED.  (a)  A person who
  grows or harvests a desert plant for sale must register with the
  department.
         (b)  A person described by Subsection (a) must include the
  following with the registration information provided to the
  department:
               (1)  a statement that the desert plants provided for
  sale will be harvested from the person's property; or
               (2)  written documentation from the owner of the
  property from which the desert plants will be harvested granting
  the person selling or offering to sell the plants the authority to
  harvest the plants.
         Sec. 122.005.  DOCUMENTATION FOR SALE OR TRANSPORT OF DESERT
  PLANTS. (a)  A person subject to Section 122.004 shall provide
  documentation prescribed by the department certifying the sale or
  transport for each transaction involving at least 25 desert plants
  harvested for sale under this chapter.  Documentation provided
  under this subsection may certify no more than 25 desert plants.  
  For a transaction involving more than 25 desert plants, a person
  must provide documentation for each grouping of 25 or fewer plants.
         (b)  The department may charge a fee for providing
  documentation under this section.
         Sec. 122.006.  STOP-SALE ORDER. In enforcing this chapter,
  the department may issue and enforce a written or printed order to
  stop the sale of a desert plant or a shipment of desert plants that
  is not accompanied by documentation as provided by Section 122.005.
  If an order is issued, a person may not sell the plant or shipment
  until proper documentation is provided.
         Sec. 122.007.  AUTHORITY TO SEIZE PLANTS.  In enforcing this
  chapter, the department with or without process may seize a desert
  plant or a shipment of desert plants that is:
               (1)  not accompanied by documentation as provided by
  Section 122.005; and
               (2)  intended for transfer out of this state.
         Sec. 122.008.  PENALTY. (a)  A person commits an offense if
  the person advertises, sells, or offers for sale a desert plant or a
  shipment of desert plants that is not accompanied by documentation
  as provided by Section 122.005.
         (b)  An offense under this section is punishable by:
               (1)  a fine not to exceed $1,000;
               (2)  imprisonment for a term not to exceed 180 days; or
               (3)  both fine and imprisonment under this subsection.
         SECTION 2.  Section 12.020, Agriculture Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (c-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  If a person violates a provision of this code described
  by Subsection (c) or (c-1) of this section or a rule or order
  adopted by the department under a provision of this code described
  by Subsection (c) or (c-1) of this section, the department may
  assess an administrative penalty against the person as provided by
  this section.
         (b)  The penalty for each violation may be in an amount not to
  exceed the maximum provided by Subsection (c) or (c-1) of this
  section. Each day a violation continues or occurs may be considered
  a separate violation for purposes of penalty assessments.
         (c-1)  In addition to provisions described by Subsection
  (c), Chapter 122 is subject to this section and the applicable
  penalty amount is $500.
         SECTION 3.  (a)  Not later than December 1, 2007, the
  Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules to administer Chapter
  122, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  Chapter 122, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act,
  applies only to a sale, an offer for sale, or the transportation of
  a desert plant on or after January 1, 2008.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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