| 1 | 1 | | 85R12291 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 1930 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the adoption of cats and dogs previously used for |
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| 8 | 8 | | research at public institutions of higher education. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 51.956 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 51.956. ADOPTION OF RETIRED RESEARCH ANIMALS. (a) In |
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| 13 | 13 | | this section: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Animal rescue organization" means an |
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| 15 | 15 | | organization established primarily to rescue animals and offer the |
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| 16 | 16 | | animals for adoption. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Animal shelter" means a facility that is operated |
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| 18 | 18 | | by an organization and established primarily to shelter and care |
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| 19 | 19 | | for stray or abandoned animals and offer those animals for |
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| 20 | 20 | | adoption. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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| 22 | 22 | | assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (4) "Retired research animal" means a cat or dog that |
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| 24 | 24 | | an institution of higher education used in experiments conducted |
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| 25 | 25 | | for education, research, science, or testing purposes and no longer |
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| 26 | 26 | | needs for those purposes. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) An institution of higher education shall assess the |
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| 28 | 28 | | health of a retired research animal on its retirement to determine |
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| 29 | 29 | | whether the animal has a substantial medical condition that |
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| 30 | 30 | | prevents the animal from successfully integrating into an adoptive |
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| 31 | 31 | | home. If the animal does not have such a condition, the institution |
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| 32 | 32 | | shall offer the animal for adoption: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) through an animal rescue organization or animal |
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| 34 | 34 | | shelter; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) by an individual through an arrangement between |
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| 36 | 36 | | the institution and individual. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (c) An institution of higher education may enter into a |
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| 38 | 38 | | written agreement with an animal rescue organization or animal |
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| 39 | 39 | | shelter that: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) provides for a veterinarian employed by the |
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| 41 | 41 | | organization or shelter to perform the health assessment of the |
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| 42 | 42 | | institution's retired research animals as required under |
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| 43 | 43 | | Subsection (b); or |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) addresses the transfer of the institution's |
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| 45 | 45 | | retired research animals to the organization or shelter. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt |
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| 47 | 47 | | rules necessary to implement this section. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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