| 1 | 1 | | By: Virdell H.B. No. 1382 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to a prohibition on weather modification and control; |
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| 9 | 9 | | creating a criminal offense. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Title 9, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding |
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| 12 | 12 | | Chapter 303 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | CHAPTER 303. WEATHER MODIFICATION AND CONTROL PROHIBITED |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 303.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "weather |
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| 15 | 15 | | modification and control" means the injection, release, or |
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| 16 | 16 | | dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, chemical compound, |
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| 17 | 17 | | substance, or apparatus for the purpose of affecting temperature, |
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| 18 | 18 | | weather, or the intensity of sunlight. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sec. 303.002. PROHIBITION ON WEATHER MODIFICATION AND |
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| 20 | 20 | | CONTROL. A person may not engage in weather modification and |
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| 21 | 21 | | control. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 303.003. ENFORCEMENT. (a) A person commits an offense |
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| 23 | 23 | | if the person violates this chapter. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (c) A person commits a separate offense for each day the |
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| 26 | 26 | | violation occurs. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. Chapters 301 and 302, Agriculture Code, are |
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| 28 | 28 | | repealed. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 30 | 30 | | an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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| 31 | 31 | | offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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| 32 | 32 | | by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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| 33 | 33 | | former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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| 34 | 34 | | this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of |
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| 35 | 35 | | this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 4. (a) An action, including a disciplinary or |
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| 37 | 37 | | administrative proceeding, pending under Chapter 301, Agriculture |
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| 38 | 38 | | Code, or Chapter 51, Occupations Code, on the effective date of this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act related to a violation of Chapter 301, Agriculture Code, as that |
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| 40 | 40 | | chapter existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, |
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| 41 | 41 | | is dismissed. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (b) An administrative penalty assessed by the Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | Commission of Licensing and Regulation before the effective date of |
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| 44 | 44 | | this Act related to a violation of Chapter 301, Agriculture Code, as |
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| 45 | 45 | | that chapter existed immediately before the effective date of this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act, may be collected as provided by Chapter 51, Occupations Code. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (c) The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shall |
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| 48 | 48 | | return to a person who holds a valid license or permit issued under |
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| 49 | 49 | | Chapter 301, Agriculture Code, as that chapter existed immediately |
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| 50 | 50 | | before the effective date of this Act, a prorated portion of the fee |
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| 51 | 51 | | paid to the department for the issuance or renewal of the license or |
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| 52 | 52 | | permit. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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