BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 4163 By: Guillen Agriculture & Livestock Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that some cities currently impose requirements on agricultural operations that interfere with generally accepted agricultural practices, including mandates relating to the maintenance of vegetation along public road rights-of-way, which can create unnecessary burdens for farmers and ranchers, especially when such requirements are unrelated to public health or safety. C.S.H.B. 4163 seeks to protect agricultural operations from overly restrictive municipal ordinances by prohibiting a city from imposing certain governmental requirements on an agricultural operation. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 4163 amends the Agriculture Code to prohibit a city from imposing a governmental requirement that directly or indirectly requires the owner or lessee of an agricultural operation to mow, bale, shred, or hoe material on the right-of-way of a public road that is adjacent to the operation. The bill applies to a governmental requirement adopted before, on, or after the bill's effective date. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 4163 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. With respect to the right-of-way to which the bill applies, the introduced specified the right-of-way of a portion of a public road, whereas the substitute omits the reference to any portion and only specifies the right-of-way of a public road. The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing that the bill applies to a governmental requirement adopted before, on, or after the bill's effective date.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 4163
By: Guillen
Agriculture & Livestock
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 4163
By: Guillen
Agriculture & Livestock
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that some cities currently impose requirements on agricultural operations that interfere with generally accepted agricultural practices, including mandates relating to the maintenance of vegetation along public road rights-of-way, which can create unnecessary burdens for farmers and ranchers, especially when such requirements are unrelated to public health or safety. C.S.H.B. 4163 seeks to protect agricultural operations from overly restrictive municipal ordinances by prohibiting a city from imposing certain governmental requirements on an agricultural operation.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 4163 amends the Agriculture Code to prohibit a city from imposing a governmental requirement that directly or indirectly requires the owner or lessee of an agricultural operation to mow, bale, shred, or hoe material on the right-of-way of a public road that is adjacent to the operation. The bill applies to a governmental requirement adopted before, on, or after the bill's effective date.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 4163 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. With respect to the right-of-way to which the bill applies, the introduced specified the right-of-way of a portion of a public road, whereas the substitute omits the reference to any portion and only specifies the right-of-way of a public road. The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing that the bill applies to a governmental requirement adopted before, on, or after the bill's effective date.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that some cities currently impose requirements on agricultural operations that interfere with generally accepted agricultural practices, including mandates relating to the maintenance of vegetation along public road rights-of-way, which can create unnecessary burdens for farmers and ranchers, especially when such requirements are unrelated to public health or safety. C.S.H.B. 4163 seeks to protect agricultural operations from overly restrictive municipal ordinances by prohibiting a city from imposing certain governmental requirements on an agricultural operation.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 4163 amends the Agriculture Code to prohibit a city from imposing a governmental requirement that directly or indirectly requires the owner or lessee of an agricultural operation to mow, bale, shred, or hoe material on the right-of-way of a public road that is adjacent to the operation. The bill applies to a governmental requirement adopted before, on, or after the bill's effective date.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 4163 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
With respect to the right-of-way to which the bill applies, the introduced specified the right-of-way of a portion of a public road, whereas the substitute omits the reference to any portion and only specifies the right-of-way of a public road. The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing that the bill applies to a governmental requirement adopted before, on, or after the bill's effective date.