83R24702 JXC-D
 
  By: M. Gonzalez of El Paso H.B. No. 1825
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1825:
 
  By:  Kacal C.S.H.B. No. 1825
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the sale or transportation of certain desert plants;
  creating an offense and providing penalties; providing authority to
  impose a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 5, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
  Subtitle F to read as follows:
  SUBTITLE F.  PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, AND SALE OF NURSERY PRODUCTS
  CHAPTER 121. SALE OF DESERT PLANTS
         Sec. 121.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Commercial purchaser" means a person who
  purchases a plant for the purpose of wholesale or retail sale.
               (2)  "Desert plant" means the following genera of
  plants:
                     (A)  Agave;
                     (B)  Ariocarpus;
                     (C)  Echinocactus;
                     (D)  Echinocereus;
                     (E)  Ferocactus;
                     (F)  Fouquieria;
                     (G)  Mammillaria; and
                     (H)  Yucca.
         Sec. 121.002.  ADMINISTRATION. The department shall
  administer this chapter and adopt rules necessary for its
  enforcement.
         Sec. 121.003.  REQUIREMENTS FOR SALE OR TRANSPORTATION. A
  person may not sell or offer for sale to a commercial purchaser a
  desert plant or transport for transfer out of this state a desert
  plant unless the person:
               (1)  complies with Sections 121.004 and 121.005 and
  department rules on providing documentation of the source of the
  desert plant; or
               (2)  owns the property from which the desert plant was
  harvested and provides with the plant a shipping order or other
  document showing the source of the plant or of a group of plants
  that includes the plant.
         Sec. 121.004.  REGISTRATION AND COMPLIANCE AGREEMENT. (a)  
  A person who grows desert plants on or harvests desert plants from
  property owned by another person for sale must register with the
  department and enter into a compliance agreement with the
  department that requires the person to provide a manifest or other
  form of documentation during a sale or transfer in compliance with
  Section 121.005.
         (b)  The department by rule shall establish minimum
  standards for compliance agreements and the manifests or other
  forms of documentation to be provided in accordance with compliance
  agreements.  A manifest or other form of documentation must:
               (1)  show the source of the desert plants; and
               (2)  verify compliance with the compliance agreement
  conditions.
         (c)  The department shall adopt rules, including procedures
  for inspection or other mechanisms, to ensure that a manifest or
  other form of documentation provided under a compliance agreement
  does not misrepresent the source of a desert plant.
         (d)  A person must include with an application for
  registration under this section written documentation that the
  owner of the property from which the desert plants are to be
  harvested grants the person the authority to harvest the plants
  from that property.
         (e)  The department may charge a registration and compliance
  agreement fee to offset the costs of administering this chapter.
         Sec. 121.005.  DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED UNDER COMPLIANCE
  AGREEMENT. (a) A person who sells or offers for sale a desert plant
  and has entered into a compliance agreement under this chapter
  shall, in accordance with department rules, provide a manifest or
  other form of documentation of the source of the desert plant to:
               (1)  a commercial purchaser;
               (2)  a person who sells or offers for sale the desert
  plant to a commercial purchaser; or
               (3)  a person who transports the desert plant for
  transfer out of this state.
         (b)  The manifest or other form of documentation must
  accompany the desert plant when the plant is:
               (1)  sold or offered for sale; or
               (2)  transported for transfer out of this state.
         Sec. 121.006.  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 a manifest or other form of documentation if
  required under Sections 121.004 and 121.005. If an order is issued,
  a person may not sell the desert plant or shipment until proper
  documentation is provided.
         Sec. 121.007.  AUTHORITY TO SEIZE DESERT PLANTS.  (a)  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 a manifest or other form of
  documentation if required by Sections 121.004 and 121.005; and
               (2)  intended for transfer out of this state.
         (b)  The department shall:
               (1)  return desert plants seized under this section to
  the owner of the land from which they were harvested; or
               (2)  if the department is not able to identify the owner
  of the land from which the desert plants were harvested, deliver
  them to the Parks and Wildlife Department.
         Sec. 121.008.  PENALTY. (a)  A person commits an offense if
  the person advertises, sells, or offers for sale to a commercial
  purchaser a desert plant or a shipment of desert plants that is not
  accompanied by a manifest or other form of documentation if
  required by Sections 121.004 and 121.005.
         (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 Subsections (c-1) and
  (c-2) to read as follows:
         (a)  If a person violates a provision of law described by
  Subsection (c) or (c-1) or a rule or order adopted by the department
  under a provision of law described by Subsection (c) or (c-1), 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 121 is subject to this section and the applicable
  penalty amount is $500.
         (c-2)  Subsection (c-1) does not authorize the department to
  assess an administrative penalty against a person described by
  Section 121.003(2).
         SECTION 3.  (a)  Not later than December 1, 2013, the
  Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules to administer Chapter
  121, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  Chapter 121, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act,
  applies only to a desert plant that is sold, offered for sale, or
  transported on or after January 1, 2014.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.