By: Farrar H.B. No. 3749
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the guidelines for animal shelters.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 823.001(4), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(4) "Department" means the [Texas] Department of State
Health Services.
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 823.003, Health and
Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 823.003. STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS FOR ANIMAL
SHELTERS; CRIMINAL PENALTY.
SECTION 3. Section 823.003, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsection (e) to
read as follows:
(e) Each person operating an animal shelter shall set as a
goal for the shelter to release all healthy animals in its custody.
The department [board] may require each person operating an animal
shelter to keep records of the date and disposition of animals in
its custody, to maintain the records on the business premises of the
animal shelter, and to make the records available for inspection at
reasonable times.
SECTION 4. Chapter 823, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Section 823.004 to read as follows:
Sec. 823.004. LIVE RELEASE DATABASE. Each animal shelter
operated in this state shall consider establishing and maintaining
a live release database to track the number of animals in the
shelter and the number of live releases from that shelter using the
statistics table and live release rate formulas developed by the
Asilomar Accords and in effect on January 1, 2013, or a successor
table or formula.
SECTION 5. Section 823.005(b), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The advisory committee must be composed of at least one
licensed veterinarian, one county or municipal official, one person
whose duties include the daily operation of an animal shelter, one
representative from a rescue organization or a local private animal
shelter, and one representative from an animal welfare
organization.
SECTION 6. Chapter 823, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Section 823.006 to read as follows:
Sec. 823.006. FOSTER PROGRAMS. (a) Each animal shelter
operated in this state shall consider establishing and operating a
foster program that is approved by an advisory committee described
by Section 823.005.
(b) The foster program may include:
(1) a recruitment plan for attracting volunteers and
participants of the foster program;
(2) adoption events in the county or municipality in
which the shelter is located; and
(3) a partnership with local private animal shelters
to further the purposes of the program and for the transfer of
healthy animals to relieve excess population of the shelter.
(c) The animal shelter shall consider ensuring that each
animal in the foster program that weighs more than five pounds is
vaccinated and spayed or neutered, as applicable.
SECTION 7. Section 823.001(2), Health and Safety Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 8. The Department of State Health Services shall
implement Section 823.004, Health and Safety Code, as added by this
Act, not later than January 1, 2014.
SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.