BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2042

By: Flynn

Agriculture & Livestock

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the burden of costs brought about by the impoundment of an estray falls solely on a county.  More often than not, an owner fails to come forth and claim the estray, resulting in a financial loss for the county.  Under current law, a newspaper ad must be run twice within a 15-day period, at a statewide average cost of $150-$189.  Additional costs incurred by the county include capture, transportation, food, and housing.

H.B. 2042 authorizes a county to post the required notice of the impoundment of an estray on the county's Internet website, as an alternative to posting such a notice in a newspaper.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2042 amends provisions of the Agriculture Code that require a sheriff, if a search in the county register does not reveal the owner of an impounded estray, to give the sheriff the option either to advertise the impoundment in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least twice during the 15 days after the date of impoundment, as is the only means for such advertisement under existing law, or on the county's Internet website for at least 15 days after the date of impoundment.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.