BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4775

By: Flores

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee of a tragic animal cruelty case in Williamson County that highlights a critical gap in state law regarding the seizure of cruelly treated animals. According to KXAN News, during a severe freeze in early 2025, an animal control officer responded to a report of two dogs left without food, water, or shelter and contacted the on-call judge for a seizure warrant. However, because the property was located near a county line, valuable time was lost trying to determine which judge had the jurisdiction to sign the warrant, during which time one of the dogs died.

Currently, officers may only apply for a seizure warrant for a cruelly treated animal in the county or municipality in which the animal is located. The bill author has informed the committee that this jurisdictional limitation can delay lifesaving intervention in emergency situations occurring near the county or municipal line, as in the Williamson County case. C.S.H.B. 4775 seeks to empower peace officers and animal control officers to act more quickly to protect animals from cruelty and save lives by allowing for such officers to apply for a warrant to seize a cruelly treated animal in the county or municipality adjacent to the county or municipality in which the animal is located. The bill is named Parsons's Law in honor of Williamson County Animal Control Officer Leigh Parsons, who responded to the case of animal cruelty that brought forth this bill.

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. 4775 amends the Health and Safety Code to include the following among the courts and magistrates to which a peace officer or an officer who has responsibility for animal control in a county or municipality may apply for a warrant to seize an animal that the officer has reason to believe has been or is being cruelly treated:

· a justice court or magistrate in a county adjacent to the county in which the animal is located; and

· a municipal court in a municipality adjacent to the municipality in which the animal is located.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 4775 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 a short title absent from the introduced establishing that the bill may be cited as Parsons's Law.