Action Alert! Defeat Texas HB 1046

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ACTION ALERT

 

The 81st Texas Legislative Session is in full gear – and many bills have been introduced that deal with animals – some good and some bad.

 

This is our first Action Alert this session, and we thank you in advance for all your efforts between now and the session’s end on June 1st to help protect animals in Texas through legislation!

 

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED TO DEFEAT HB 1046

 

Background

Under current law (Chapter 821B of the Health & Safety Code) when law enforcement officers seize cruelly treated animals the trial to determine whether or not the owner will be divested of ownership is held within 10 days in a Municipal or Justice of the Peace Court and the decision of that court is final and not appealable.

 

HB 1046 will change that and allow the owner to appeal the Municipal or Justice Court's decision and get an entirely new trial. If this bill passes, city and county attorneys will have to try these cruelty cases twice, which will be very costly to the cities and counties and will make the seizure and disposition of cruelly treated animals by law enforcement officers much more difficult and much more expensive. Many small towns and lesser populated counties (where starving horses and puppy mills most often are) will not have the resources to pursue these types of cases.

 

Action Needed

This bill has been referred to the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee in the House of Representatives. We need to contact each member of that Committee and ask that they oppose HB 1046.

 

Talking Points

$HB 1046 will make the seizure and disposition of cruelly treated animals by law enforcement officers much more difficult and much more expensive.

 

$If this bill passes, many small towns and lesser populated counties (where starving horses and puppy mills most often are) will not have the resources to pursue these types of cases.

 

$Allowing appeals will cause additional expense to the cities and counties to keep and care for the animals during the appeal process which could last for months or even years. Also during this time, the seized animals (which often total in the hundreds and are almost always malnourished and sick) will suffer longer and cannot be adopted or, when necessary, be euthanized.

 

Contact Information

The members of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee and their contact information is as follows:

 

Representatives Email 512 Phone/Fax Hunter (Chair) todd.hunter 463-0672/463-2101

Bryan Hughes (Vice-Chair) bryan.hughes 463-0271/463-1515

Roberto Alonzo roberto.alonzo 463-0408/463-1817

Dan Branch dan.branch 463-0367/322-9935

Will Hartnett will.hartnett 463-0576/463-7827

Jim Jackson jim.jackson 463-0468/463-1044

David Leibowitz david.leibowitz 463-0269/320-0555

Tryon Lewis tryon.lewis 463-0546/463-8067

Jerry Madden jerry.madden 463-0544/463-9974

Armando “Mando†Martinez mando.martinez 463-0530/463-0849

Beverly Woolley beverly.woolley 463-0696/463-9333

 

PLEASE CALL, WRITE/FAX OR EMAIL THEM AND ASK THAT THEY OPPOSE THE BILL. ALSO ASK YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME. AS ALWAYS, PLEASE BE COURTEOUS AND POLITE WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVES.