BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4644

By: Thimesch

Agriculture & Livestock

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Wildlife and plant diseases and pests can have a large impact on Texas citizens and businesses, and disease quarantines have significant implications on the movement of plant and animal products that affect breeders, growers, retailers, and private citizens. Too often formal communication is lacking from state agencies on new quarantine boundaries, updated compliance agreements, and findings of pest and disease. State agencies publish rules through their formal rulemaking process in the Texas Register, but this is an insufficient way of communicating to business owners in regulated industries. C.S.H.B. 4644 seeks to address this issue by providing for the development and implementation of a statewide Internet-based alert system for notifications related to wildlife and plant pests, diseases, and quarantines in order to help provide transparent and timely information to impacted stakeholders.

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

C.S.H.B. 4644 amends the Education Code to require the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, with the cooperation of the Department of Agriculture (TDA), the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), and the Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), to develop and implement a statewide Internet-based alert system for notifications related to wildlife and plant pests, diseases, and quarantines. The alert system must issue notifications for the following:

· a confirmed case of a dangerous plant or wildlife pest or disease;

· the establishment, modification, or removal of a pest or disease quarantine order; and

· any compliance agreements entered into with TDA related to a pest or disease quarantine.

The bill requires the alert system to issue notifications through email and provide for enrollment in the alert system for delivery of a system notification. The bill requires the extension service to enter into a memorandum of understanding with TDA, the TAHC, and TPWD to ensure the extension service is able to issue a required notification within 72 hours of an applicable action by those agencies.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 4644 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The substitute includes the TAHC among the entities with whom the extension service is required to cooperate and enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding the alert system, whereas the introduced did not include the TAHC among those entities. Whereas the introduced provided for animal-related notifications, the substitute instead provides for wildlife-related notifications.