BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 970

By: Perry

Agriculture & Livestock

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the Texas Animal Health Commission has certain authority to issue quarantine hold orders on certain livestock species in response to animal disease outbreaks. The parties contend that these quarantine hold orders are important tools used to protect the health of livestock herds and that imposing a criminal penalty for ignoring these quarantine hold orders would help encourage all livestock producers to comply with these disease prevention measures. S.B. 970 seeks to address this issue.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

S.B. 970 amends the Agriculture Code to expand the conduct that constitutes the Class C misdemeanor offense involving knowingly failing to handle in accordance with Texas Animal Health Commission rules livestock, exotic livestock, domestic fowl, or exotic fowl infected with certain diseases to include that conduct with respect to livestock, exotic livestock, domestic fowl, or exotic fowl that has been exposed, as defined by commission rule, to such a disease if the commission has notified the person that the animal was exposed to the disease or with respect to livestock, exotic livestock, domestic fowl, or exotic fowl that is subject to a testing requirement due to a risk of exposure, as defined by commission rule, to a specific disease if the commission has notified the person of the testing requirement.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.