Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1916 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R21371 KKR-D
2	2	By: Elkins H.B. No. 1916
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1916:
4	4	By: Alvarado C.S.H.B. No. 1916
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the intake and disposition records of animal shelters
10	10	and releasing agencies.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 823, Health and Safety
13	13	Code, is amended to read as follows:
14	14	CHAPTER 823. ANIMAL SHELTERS AND RELEASING AGENCIES
15	15	SECTION 2. Section 823.001, Health and Safety Code, is
16	16	amended by adding Subdivision (5) to read as follows:
17	17	(5) "Releasing agency" has the meaning assigned by
18	18	Section 828.001.
19	19	SECTION 3. Section 823.002, Health and Safety Code, is
20	20	amended to read as follows:
21	21	Sec. 823.002. EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN COUNTIES, CLINICS, AND
22	22	FACILITIES. Except as provided by Sections 823.003(e) and 823.010,
23	23	this [This] chapter does not apply to:
24	24	(1) a county having a population of less than 75,000;
25	25	(2) a veterinary medicine clinic; or
26	26	(3) a livestock commission facility.
27	27	SECTION 4. Section 823.003(e), Health and Safety Code, is
28	28	amended to read as follows:
29	29	(e) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
30	30	Services Commission shall [may] require each person operating an
31	31	animal shelter or releasing agency to keep records as required by
32	32	Section 823.010. The executive commissioner may require the
33	33	shelter or agency [of the date and disposition of animals in its
34	34	custody,] to maintain the records on the business premises of the
35	35	[animal] shelter or agency[,] and to make the records available for
36	36	inspection at reasonable times.
37	37	SECTION 5. Chapter 823, Health and Safety Code, is amended
38	38	by adding Section 823.010 to read as follows:
39	39	Sec. 823.010. INTAKE AND DISPOSITION RECORDS FOR ANIMAL
40	40	SHELTERS AND RELEASING AGENCIES. (a) Each animal shelter,
41	41	including a shelter operated by a municipality, or releasing agency
42	42	operated in this state shall prepare and maintain records on the
43	43	intake and disposition of animals in the care of the shelter or
44	44	agency, including:
45	45	(1) the total number of live animals taken in by the
46	46	shelter or agency, categorized by:
47	47	(A) species, as dog, cat, or other; and
48	48	(B) age, as up to five months or adult;
49	49	(2) the reason an animal was taken in by the shelter or
50	50	agency, including whether the animal was:
51	51	(A) surrendered by the animal's owner;
52	52	(B) surrendered by the animal's owner and the
53	53	owner requested that the animal be euthanized;
54	54	(C) impounded as a stray animal or an animal at
55	55	large;
56	56	(D) confiscated;
57	57	(E) transferred to the shelter or agency from a
58	58	location in this state;
59	59	(F) transferred to the shelter or agency from a
60	60	location outside this state; or
61	61	(G) born in the shelter or under the care of the
62	62	agency;
63	63	(3) the number of animals at the shelter or agency on
64	64	the last day of each month, categorized by species, as dog, cat, or
65	65	other, and age, as up to five months or adult; and
66	66	(4) the disposition of each animal taken in by the
67	67	shelter or agency, categorized by species, as dog, cat, or other,
68	68	and age, as up to five months or adult, including whether the
69	69	animal:
70	70	(A) was adopted;
71	71	(B) was reclaimed by the animal's owner;
72	72	(C) died in the shelter or under the care of the
73	73	agency;
74	74	(D) was transferred from the shelter or agency;
75	75	(E) was euthanized by the shelter or agency on a
76	76	decision made by the shelter or agency;
77	77	(F) was euthanized at the owner's request;
78	78	(G) was returned to the field as part of a
79	79	sterilization program; or
80	80	(H) was lost or stolen while in the shelter's or
81	81	agency's care.
82	82	(b) An animal shelter or releasing agency shall monthly
83	83	prepare the records required by Subsection (a).
84	84	(c) An animal shelter or releasing agency shall maintain
85	85	records prepared under Subsection (a) until at least the third
86	86	anniversary of the date the record was prepared.
87	87	(d) An animal shelter or releasing agency shall make the
88	88	records required by this section available to the public by:
89	89	(1) posting the records on the shelter's,
90	90	municipality's, or agency's Internet website; or
91	91	(2) for a shelter, municipality, or agency that does
92	92	not have an Internet website, making the records available in a form
93	93	regularly maintained by the shelter, municipality, or agency for
94	94	inspection and copying.
95	95	SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
96	96	an animal placed at or disposed of by an animal shelter or releasing
97	97	agency or counted in the shelter's or agency's animal total on or
98	98	after the effective date of this Act.
99	99	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.