Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB297 by Rodriguez, Eddie (Relating to appeals regarding dangerous dogs.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code to require a court to determine estimated costs to house and care for a dangerous, impounded animal during an appeal process by an owner and to set the amount of bond for an appeal adequate to cover the estimated costs.
As a condition of perfecting an appeal in an animal cruelty case, the appellant would be required to file an appeal and, if applicable, an appeal bond in an amount determined by the court. A county court or a county court at law would have jurisdiction to hear an appeal.
According to the Office of Court Administration (OCA), no significant fiscal impact is anticipated.
Local Government Impact
The OCA reported that court statistics regarding dangerous dog cases are not available; however, the provisions of the bill are not expected to significantly affect the workload of the courts on the local level. Accordingly, no significant fiscal impact on local governments is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council