Bill Text: TX HB448 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to a notarized affidavit requesting a municipal animal control authority to seize and impound a dangerous or aggressive dog in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB448 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-HB448-Introduced.html

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89R3617 JDK-F
By: Gervin-Hawkins H.B. No. 448

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a notarized affidavit requesting a municipal animal
control authority to seize and impound a dangerous or aggressive
dog in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 822, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 822.008 to read as follows:
Sec. 822.008. NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT REQUESTING MUNICIPAL
ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY TO OPERATE IN EXTRATERRITORIAL
JURISDICTION. (a) In this section, "aggressive dog" means a dog
that makes an unprovoked attack on a domestic animal or livestock
that:
(1) causes bodily injury to the animal or livestock;
and
(2) occurs in a place other than an enclosure:
(A) in which the dog was being kept; and
(B) that is reasonably secured to prevent the dog
from leaving the enclosure.
(b) A municipal animal control authority in the
municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction may seize and impound
a dangerous or aggressive dog until a court orders its disposition
if:
(1) the authority receives a notarized affidavit
signed by at least two residents from different households in the
extraterritorial jurisdiction requesting assistance from the
authority and alleging that:
(A) a dangerous or aggressive dog has repeatedly
attacked humans, domestic animals, or livestock within the
extraterritorial jurisdiction; and
(B) due to the presence of a dangerous or
aggressive dog, the extraterritorial jurisdiction is an unsafe
environment for humans, domestic animals, or livestock; and
(2) in the extraterritorial jurisdiction:
(A) no animal control authority is authorized to
operate; or
(B) the operating animal control authority does
not provide for the seizure or impoundment of dangerous or
aggressive dogs.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.