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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to notice of an animal's possible exposure in an animal |
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shelter to certain communicable or infectious diseases. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 823, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 823.004 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 823.004. NOTICE OF CERTAIN COMMUNICABLE OR INFECTIOUS |
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DISEASES. (a) The department, in consultation with the State Board |
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of Veterinary Medical Examiners, shall develop and the department |
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and board shall each post on the agency's Internet website a model |
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electronic or written notice regarding an animal's possible |
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exposure to a communicable or infectious disease while the animal |
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is in an animal shelter. At a minimum the notice must: |
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(1) warn a person who adopts an animal from a shelter |
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about the animal's possible exposure to common communicable or |
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infectious diseases, the incubation period for those diseases, and |
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the need to monitor the animal for two weeks; and |
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(2) encourage the person to have a veterinarian |
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examine the adopted animal after adoption. |
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(b) An animal shelter may provide the notice developed under |
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Subsection (a) to a person at the time the person adopts an animal |
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from the shelter. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |