LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 5, 2011

TO:
Honorable Ryan Guillen, Chair, House Committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism
 
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB251 by Hilderbran ( Relating to the regulation of dangerous wild animals; imposing a penalty.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Health and Safety code as it relates to the regulation of dangerous wild animals.

Under the provisions of the bill, the maximum fee charged to an applicant for registration of a dangerous wild animal that is a predatory animal would be set at $500 each. Current law does not include a provision for predatory animals and allows animal registration agencies to charge a fee not to exceed $50 for an applicant for each animal registered, and the fee may not exceed $500 for each person registering animals, regardless of the number of animals. Any violations of sections 822.103(a), 822.106, and 822.110(a) or (b), Health and Safety Code, involving a predatory wild animal would be punishable as a Class B misdemeanor. Under current statute, a violation of sections 822.103(a), 822.106, or 822.110(a) or (b), Health and Safety Code, is punishable as a Class C misdemeanor.

The bill would allow a person who lives or owns property in the county where a dangerous wild animal that is a predatory animal is kept to sue the owner of the animal to enjoin a violation of this subchapter or to enforce this subchapter.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2011.


Local Government Impact

Based on a sample of Bexar County, Kerry County and the city of San Marcos, the Comptroller of Public Accounts reported that the bill may have a fiscal impact on units of local government. Fiscal impact would depend on whether the public registers the predatory animals, the number of predatory animals registered and the cost to the local government to administer the program.


Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 537 State Health Services, Department of
LBB Staff:
JOB, KM, MB, SJ, VJC