By: Meza H.B. No. 1723
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to repeal of the permit requirement for intrastate
shipment of bees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 131.121(a), Agriculture Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) violates a provision of Section 131.022 or 131.023
[of this code];
(2) fails to report diseased bees in accordance with
Section 131.025 [of this code];
(3) ships or causes bees or equipment to be shipped
into this state [or between counties in this state] without the
permit required by Section 131.041 [or 131.043 of this chapter];
(4) violates a rule, order, or quarantine of the chief
apiary inspector adopted under this chapter;
(5) prevents or attempts to prevent an inspection of
bees, equipment, pollen, or honey under the direction of the
inspector under this chapter;
(6) prevents or attempts to prevent the discovery or
treatment of diseased bees;
(7) interferes with or attempts to interfere with the
inspector in the discharge of the duties under this chapter;
(8) as the owner or keeper of a diseased colony of
bees, barters, gives away, sells, ships, or moves diseased bees,
equipment, pollen, or honey or exposes other bees to the disease;
(9) exposes honey, pollen, hives, frames, combs, bees,
or appliances known to be diseased in a manner that provides access
to bees; or
(
10) sells, offers for sale, barters, gives away,
ships, or distributes honey or pollen taken from a colony of
diseased bees.
SECTION 2. Section 131.043, Agriculture Code, is repealed.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
before that date.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2019.