Honorable Tracy O. King, Chair, House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2434 by King, Tracy O. (Relating to prohibiting the production or distribution of certain records of field trials or the process of hunting or catching wildlife; providing a civil remedy and creating an offense.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Parks and Wildlife Code so that no person may use a device to produce an audio, visual, or audiovisual record of a person participating in hunting or catching wildlife without a landowner's consent. Under bill provisions, a landowner may bring civil charges against the individual making the recording. Civil damages cannot exceed three times the actual and consequential damages plus court costs and attorney's fees. The bill would repeal a Parks and Wildlife provision that a defendant's conduct related to a harassment of hunters, trappers or fishermen would protected by the right to freedom of speech under the constitution of this state or the United States.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department anticipates that implementing bill provisions would not represent a significant fiscal implication to department revenue or the cost of department activities. The Office of the Attorney General does not anticipate any fiscal implication to that office as a result of bill provisions.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2013.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
302 Office of the Attorney General, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department