BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 250

By: Farrar

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised that the court costs paid by an animal owner who is found to have cruelly treated an animal may be inadequate to cover the expenses of some large counties and municipalities that prosecute such cases. H.B. 250 seeks to address these concerns by authorizing the award of attorney's fees in certain court proceedings for cruelly treated animals in a county or municipality with a population of at least 700,000.

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

H.B. 250 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize a court of competent jurisdiction finding that an owner of a livestock or nonlivestock animal has cruelly treated that animal and a county court or county court at law that issues a decision upholding that finding in an appeal to order the owner to pay the county's or municipality's reasonable attorney's fees, if the county or municipality has a population of at least 700,000.

H.B. 250 amends the Government Code to make a conforming change.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.