Texas House of Representatives passed “commercial breeder” Bill
On Tuesday, May 12, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 3180. The bill was amended on the floor of the House of Representatives prior to passage with the following amendments:
· First, the bill’s definition of “commercial breeder” was changed to mean “a person who possesses adult intact female animals that produce 20 or more litters in one calendar year and is engaged in the business of breeding animals for direct or indirect sale or for exchange in return for consideration.” The definition formerly established the commercial breeder threshold at ‘possessing 11 or more intact female animals.’
· Second, the bill now requires registered breeder inspectors to be both certified and employed by the Department of Licensing and Regulation. The previous version of the bill did not require such inspectors to be employed by the Department.
· Third, the bill now prohibits commercial breeders from selling, trading, or giving away an animal before the animal is six weeks of age. The previous version of the bill prohibited selling, trading, or giving away an animal before the animal reached eight weeks of age.
· Fourth, the bill now limits the amount that a ‘dealer’ has to reimburse consumers of an animal ‘unfit for sale’ for paid reasonable veterinary fees to not more than 300 percent of the purchase price of the animal. The previous version of the bill did not limit the amount of recovery.
HB 3180 has been sent to the Senate for its consideration of the bill. The American Kennel Club remains opposed to HB 3180 for its many problematic provisions, including the dog ownership limit imposed upon commercial breeder licensees. (For a copy of the amended version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives, click here.) The Government Relations Department will continue to monitor the progress of HB 3180, and will report developments as they warrant.