Texas legislature adjourns - summary of pet-related bills

The Texas legislative session was loaded with pet-related bills, but only a fraction made it through the process. This year legislators filed a record number of bills (over 7,000).  The Associated Press called it a "meltdown" as the legislature adjourned yesterday without passing bills allowing critical state agencies to continue operating. The Governor will likely call a special session to resolve this issue.

Gone to the Gov -

HB 3004:  Gives counties the authority to enforce animal shelter standards.

SB 554:  Enhances the crime of dogfighting.

HB 205:  Exempts working livestock dogs from city leash laws when property is annexed.

SB 408: Allows for appeals in animal cruelty seizure cases.

Suddenly died at the last minute:

HB 853: Allowing judges in domestic violence cases to include pets and other companion animals in protective orders.  This bill passed, seemed to be widely supported, and somehow did not make it out of conference committee before the deadline (read more about this bill). 

HB 1320: Expanding penalties for cockfighting. Got through the conference committee and then died (read more about how it died).

HB 3180: Regulating commercial dog and cat breeders, dubbed the "puppy mill bill", died in committee. However, some of the text was added to HB 2310 as an amendment which was then removed by the conference committee in the session's final days.

All of the bills below died earlier in the session:  

HB 435: Raising the penalty for theft of a pet made little progress, to the disappointment of those who own pets that have little monetary value. However, a bill raising penalties for stealing livestock (SB 1163) passed.

From the "Do It For The Children" Department:

HB 1982: An extreme and unreasonable 'vicious' dog bill.

HB 925: Prohibiting minors from 'caring for' pit bull dogs.

Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) attempted to amend the dogfighting bill to define all 'pit bulls' as dangerous dogs but this amendment was rejected by the bill's author.

HB 634: Prohibiting tethering and requiring minimum kennel sizes even for short periods of time (read more).

From the Why God Created Homeowners' Associations (Even in the Sticks) Department:

HB 458: Allowing dog limits in unincorporated areas.

HB 2732 and HB 3380, defining barking dogs in unincorporated areas as nuisances.

... And from the Land of Unintended Consequences we give you:

HB 1472, which would have given people who shoot dogs and cats who chase their livestock a defense from prosecution (read more about this bill).

SB 691, which may have unintentionally classified dogs and cats as invasive species (read more about this bill). 

SB 1845/HB 4277, which mandated the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats, both by owners and by all releasing shelters including releases to rescue groups (read more about this bill).

Should our legislature meet for longer sessions, or more frequently? Sure, I would love an entire year of more spitefulness than "The Bachelor," more drama than "American Idol" and more foolishness than "I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of Here." But look, California has a full-time legislature plus a ballot initiative process and look where it's gotten them.

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