By: Perry, et al.  S.B. No. 1421
         (In the Senate - Filed March 1, 2023; March 16, 2023, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural
  Affairs; March 28, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0;
  March 28, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1421 By:  Perry
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the effect of nuisance actions, other actions, and
  governmental requirements on certain agricultural operations.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 251.  EFFECT OF NUISANCE ACTIONS, OTHER ACTIONS, AND
  GOVERNMENTAL REQUIREMENTS ON CERTAIN [PREEXISTING] AGRICULTURAL
  OPERATIONS
         SECTION 2.  Section 251.001, Agriculture Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 251.001.  POLICY.  Food security being essential, it
  [It] is the policy of this state to conserve, protect, and encourage
  the development and improvement of its agricultural land for the
  production of food and other agricultural products. It is the
  purpose of this chapter to reduce the loss to the state of its
  agricultural resources by limiting the circumstances under which
  agricultural operations may be legally threatened, subject to suit,
  regulated, or otherwise declared [considered] to be a nuisance.
         SECTION 3.  Sections 251.002(1) and (2), Agriculture Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
               (1)  "Agricultural operation" includes the following
  activities:
                     (A)  cultivating the soil;
                     (B)  producing crops or growing vegetation for
  human food, animal feed, including hay and other forages, planting
  seed, or fiber;
                     (C)  floriculture;
                     (D)  viticulture;
                     (E)  horticulture;
                     (F)  silviculture;
                     (G)  wildlife management;
                     (H)  raising or keeping livestock or poultry,
  including veterinary services; and
                     (I)  planting cover crops or leaving land idle for
  the purpose of participating in any governmental program or normal
  crop or livestock rotation procedure.
               (2)  "Governmental requirement" includes any rule,
  regulation, ordinance, zoning, license or permit requirement, or
  other requirement or restriction enacted or promulgated by a
  county, city, or other municipal corporation that has the power to
  enact or promulgate the requirement or restriction.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 251.003 and 251.004, Agriculture Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 251.003.  ESTABLISHED DATE OF OPERATION. For purposes
  of this chapter, the established date of operation is the date on
  which an agricultural operation commenced agricultural operations
  [operation.  If the physical facilities of the agricultural
  operation are subsequently expanded, the established date of
  operation for each expansion is a separate and independent
  established date of operation established as of the date of
  commencement of the expanded operation, and the commencement of
  expanded operation does not divest the agricultural operation of a
  previously established date of operation].
         Sec. 251.004.  NUISANCE OR OTHER ACTIONS. (a) No nuisance
  action or other action to restrain an agricultural operation may be
  brought against an agricultural operation that has lawfully been in
  operation and substantially unchanged for one year or more prior to
  the date on which the action is brought.  A person who brings a
  nuisance action or other action to restrain an agricultural
  operation that is not prohibited by this section must establish
  each element of the action by clear and convincing evidence [, if
  the conditions or circumstances complained of as constituting the
  basis for the nuisance action have existed substantially unchanged
  since the established date of operation].  This subsection does not
  restrict or impede the authority of this state to protect the public
  health, safety, and welfare or [the authority of a municipality] to
  enforce state law.  For the purposes of this subsection, a
  substantial change to an agricultural operation means a material
  alteration to the operation of or type of production at an
  agricultural operation that is substantially inconsistent with the
  operational practices since the established date of operation.
         (b)  A person who brings a nuisance action or other action to
  restrain an agricultural operation and seeks [for] damages or
  injunctive relief against an agricultural operation that has
  existed for one year or more prior to the date that the action is
  instituted or who violates the provisions of Subsection (a) [of
  this section] is liable to the agricultural operator for:
               (1)  all costs and expenses incurred in defense of the
  action, including [but not limited to] attorney's fees, court
  costs, travel, and other related incidental expenses incurred in
  the defense; and
               (2)  any other damages found by the trier of fact.
         (c)  This section does not affect or defeat the right of any
  person to recover for injuries or damages sustained because of an
  agricultural operation or portion of an agricultural operation that
  is conducted in violation of a federal, state, or local statute or
  governmental requirement that applies to the agricultural
  operation or portion of an agricultural operation.
         SECTION 5.  Section 251.005(c), Agriculture Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  A governmental requirement of a city:
               (1)  does not apply to any agricultural operation
  located [situated] outside the corporate boundaries of the city;
  and
               (2)  applies to an agricultural operation located in
  the corporate boundaries of the city only if the governmental
  requirement complies with Section 251.0055 [on the effective date
  of this chapter.  If an agricultural operation so situated is
  subsequently annexed or otherwise brought within the corporate
  boundaries of the city, the governmental requirements of the city
  do not apply to the agricultural operation unless the requirement
  is reasonably necessary to protect persons who reside in the
  immediate vicinity or persons on public property in the immediate
  vicinity of the agricultural operation from the danger of:
               [(1)  explosion, flooding, vermin, insects, physical
  injury, contagious disease, removal of lateral or subjacent
  support, contamination of water supplies, radiation, storage of
  toxic materials, or traffic hazards; or
               [(2)  discharge of firearms or other weapons, subject
  to the restrictions in Section 229.002, Local Government Code].
         SECTION 6.  Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, is amended by
  adding Section 251.0055 to read as follows:
         Sec. 251.0055.  LIMITATIONS ON CITY GOVERNMENTAL
  REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE WITHIN CORPORATE BOUNDARIES. (a) A city
  may not impose a governmental requirement that applies to
  agricultural operations located in the corporate boundaries of the
  city unless:
               (1)  there is evidence that the purposes of the
  requirement cannot be addressed through less restrictive means and
  the requirement is reasonably necessary to protect persons who
  reside in the immediate vicinity or persons on public property in
  the immediate vicinity of the agricultural operation from the
  imminent danger of:
                     (A)  explosion;
                     (B)  flooding;
                     (C)  an infestation of vermin or insects;
                     (D)  physical injury;
                     (E)  the significant spread of an identified
  contagious disease that is directly attributable to the
  agricultural operation;
                     (F)  the removal of lateral or subjacent support;
                     (G)  an identified source of contamination of
  water supplies;
                     (H)  radiation;
                     (I)  improper storage of toxic materials;
                     (J)  crops planted or vegetation grown in a manner
  that will cause traffic hazards; or
                     (K)  discharge of firearms or other weapons,
  subject to the restrictions in Section 229.002, Local Government
  Code;
               (2)  the governing body of the city makes a finding by
  resolution, based on a report described by Subsection (b), that the
  requirement is necessary to protect public health; and
               (3)  the requirement is not otherwise prohibited by
  this section.
         (b)  Before making a finding described by Subsection (a)(2),
  the governing body of the city must obtain and review a report
  prepared by the city health officer or a consultant that:
               (1)  identifies evidence of the health hazards related
  to agricultural operations;
               (2)  determines the necessity of regulation and the
  manner in which agricultural operation should be regulated;
               (3)  states whether each manner of regulation under
  Subdivision (2) will restrict or prohibit a generally accepted
  agricultural practice listed in the manual prepared under Section
  251.007; and
               (4)  if applicable, includes an explanation why the
  report recommends a manner of regulation that will restrict or
  prohibit the use of a generally accepted agricultural practice that
  the manual indicates does not pose a threat to public health.
         (c)  A city may not impose a governmental requirement that
  directly or indirectly:
               (1)  prohibits the use of a generally accepted
  agricultural practice listed in the manual prepared under Section
  251.007, except as provided by Subsections (a) and (b);
               (2)  prohibits or restricts the growing or harvesting
  of vegetation for animal feed or forage, except as provided by
  Subsection (d);
               (3)  prohibits the use of pesticides or other measures
  to control vermin or disease-bearing insects to the extent
  necessary to prevent an infestation; or
               (4)  requires an agricultural operation be designated
  for:
                     (A)  agricultural use under Section 1-d, Article
  VIII, Texas Constitution; or
                     (B)  farm, ranch, wildlife management, or timber
  production use under Section 1-d-1, Article VIII, Texas
  Constitution.
         (d)  A city may impose a maximum height for vegetation that
  applies to agricultural operations only if:
               (1)  the maximum vegetation height is at least 12
  inches; and
               (2)  the requirement applies only to portions of an
  agricultural operation located no more than 10 feet from a property
  boundary that is adjacent to a public sidewalk, street, or highway.
         (e)  A governmental requirement of a city relating to the
  restraint of a dog that would apply to an agricultural operation
  does not apply to a dog used to protect livestock on property
  controlled by the property owner while the dog is being used on such
  property for that purpose.
         SECTION 7.  Section 251.006, Agriculture Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 251.006.  AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENTS. (a) An owner,
  lessee, or occupant of agricultural land is not liable to the state,
  a governmental unit, or the owner, lessee, or occupant of other
  agricultural land for the construction or maintenance on the land
  of an agricultural improvement if the construction is not expressly
  prohibited by statute [or a governmental requirement] in effect at
  the time the improvement is constructed. Such an improvement does
  not constitute a nuisance and is not otherwise subject to suit or
  injunction.
         (b)  [This section does not apply to an improvement that
  obstructs the flow of water, light, or air to other land.] This
  section does not prevent the enforcement of a state or federal
  statute [or governmental requirement to protect public health or
  safety].
         (c)  In this section:
               (1)  "Agricultural land" includes:
                     (A)  any land the use of which qualifies the land
  for appraisal based on agricultural use as defined under Subchapter
  D, Chapter 23, Tax Code; and
                     (B)  any other land on which agricultural
  operations exist or may take place.
               (2)  "Agricultural improvement" includes pens, barns,
  fences, arenas, and other improvements designed for:
                     (A)  the sheltering, restriction, or feeding of
  animal or aquatic life;
                     (B)  [, for] storage of produce or feed; [,] or
                     (C)  [for] storage or maintenance of:
                           (i)  implements used for management
  functions; or
                           (ii)  equipment necessary to carry out
  agricultural operations.
         SECTION 8.  Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, is amended by
  adding Sections 251.007 and 251.008 to read as follows:
         Sec. 251.007.  GENERALLY ACCEPTED AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES.
  The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service shall develop a manual
  that identifies generally accepted agricultural practices and
  indicates which of those practices do not pose a threat to public
  health, including a threat to public health posed by a danger listed
  in Section 251.0055(a)(1).
         Sec. 251.008.  CONFLICT WITH OTHER LAW.  If there is a
  conflict between this chapter and other law, this chapter prevails.
         SECTION 9.  Sections 251.005(c-1) and (c-2), Agriculture
  Code, are repealed.
         SECTION 10.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service shall develop
  the manual described by Section 251.007, Agriculture Code, as added
  by this Act.
         SECTION 11.  Sections 251.002 and 251.005, Agriculture Code,
  as amended by this Act, and Section 251.0055, Agriculture Code, as
  added by this Act, apply to a governmental requirement adopted
  before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 12.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only
  to a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of
  this Act.  A cause of action that accrued before the effective date
  of this Act is governed by the law applicable to the cause of action
  immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 13.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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