Title HS, Health and Safety Code

Sec. 826.013. COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES MAY ADOPT CHAPTER. The governing body of a municipality or the commissioners court of a county may adopt this chapter and the standards adopted by the executive commissioner. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amen…

Sec. 826.014. COUNTIES MAY ADOPT ORDINANCES AND RULES. (a) The commissioners court of a county may adopt ordinances or rules that establish a local rabies control program in the county and set local standards that are compatible with and equal to or more stringent than the progra…

Sec. 826.015. MUNICIPALITIES MAY ADOPT ORDINANCES OR RULES. (a) The governing body of a municipality may adopt ordinances or rules that establish a local rabies control program in the municipality and set local standards that are compatible with and equal to or more stringent tha…

Sec. 826.016. CONTRACTS. The governing body of a municipality and the commissioners court of a county may enter into contracts or agreements with public or private entities to carry out the activities required or authorized under this chapter. Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. …

Sec. 826.017. DESIGNATION OF LOCAL RABIES CONTROL AUTHORITY. (a) The commissioners court of each county and the governing body of each municipality shall designate an officer to act as the local rabies control authority for the purposes of this chapter. (b) Except as restricted b…

Sec. 826.018. LOCAL RABIES CONTROL PROGRAMS. (a) This section applies to a veterinarian who: (1) is employed by a county or municipality; and (2) administers or supervises the administration of rabies vaccine as part of a local rabies control program established by a county or mu…

Sec. 826.021. VACCINATION OF DOGS AND CATS REQUIRED. (a) Except as otherwise provided by department rule, the owner of a dog or cat shall have the animal vaccinated against rabies by the time the animal is four months of age and at regular intervals thereafter as prescribed by de…

Sec. 826.0211. CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION IN RABIES VACCINATION CERTIFICATE; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) Information contained in a rabies vaccination certificate or in any record compiled from the information contained in one or more certificates that identifies or tends t…

Sec. 826.022. VACCINATION; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person fails or refuses to have each dog or cat owned by the person vaccinated against rabies and the animal is required to be vaccinated under: (1) Section 826.021 and department rules; or (2) or…

Sec. 826.023. USE AND SALE OF RABIES VACCINE. (a) Rabies vaccine for animals may be administered only by or under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. (b) A veterinarian may not administer or directly supervise the administration of rabies vaccine in this state unless the pe…

Sec. 826.024. USE AND SALE OF RABIES VACCINE; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) administers or attempts to administer rabies vaccine in a manner not authorized by Section 826.023; (2) dispenses or attempts to dispense rabies vaccine in a manner …

Sec. 826.025. PROVISION OF VACCINE AND SERUM. (a) The department may provide vaccine and hyperimmune serum in accordance with department policies or procedures for the use and benefit of a person exposed, or suspected of having been exposed, to rabies. (b) In accordance with depa…

Sec. 826.031. REGISTRATION OF DOGS AND CATS BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. (a) The governing body of a municipality and the commissioners court of a county may adopt ordinances or rules under Section 826.014 or 826.015 requiring the registration of each dog and cat within the jurisdiction…

Sec. 826.0311. CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION IN DOG AND CAT REGISTRY; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) Information that is contained in a municipal or county registry of dogs and cats under Section 826.031 that identifies or tends to identify the owner or an address, telephone numb…

Sec. 826.032. REGISTRATION; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) the person fails or refuses to register or present for registration a dog or cat owned by the person; and (2) the animal is required to be registered under the ordinances or rules adopted under …

Sec. 826.033. RESTRAINT, IMPOUNDMENT, AND DISPOSITION OF DOGS AND CATS. (a) The governing body of a municipality and the commissioners court of a county may adopt ordinances or rules under Section 826.014 or 826.015 to require that: (1) each dog or cat be restrained by its owner;…

Sec. 826.034. RESTRAINT; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) the person fails or refuses to restrain a dog or cat owned by the person; and (2) the animal is required to be restrained under the ordinances or rules adopted under this chapter by a county or mun…

Sec. 826.041. REPORTS OF RABIES. (a) A person who knows of an animal bite or scratch to an individual that the person could reasonably foresee as capable of transmitting rabies, or who knows of an animal that the person suspects is rabid, shall report the incident or animal to th…

Sec. 826.042. QUARANTINE OF ANIMALS. (a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules governing the testing of quarantined animals and the procedure for and method of quarantine. (b) The local rabies control authority or a veterinarian shall quarantine or test in accordance with …

Sec. 826.043. RELEASE OR DISPOSITION OF QUARANTINED ANIMAL. (a) If a veterinarian determines that a quarantined animal does not show the clinical signs of rabies, the veterinarian or local rabies control authority shall release the animal to its owner when the quarantine period e…

Sec. 826.044. QUARANTINE; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person fails or refuses to quarantine or present for quarantine or testing an animal that: (1) is required to be placed in quarantine or presented for testing under Section 826.042 and department r…

Sec. 826.045. AREA RABIES QUARANTINE. (a) If rabies is known to exist in an area, the department or its designee may declare an area rabies quarantine to prevent or contain a rabies epizootic. (b) On the declaration that a quarantine exists, the executive commissioner shall: (1) …

Sec. 826.046. VIOLATION OF AREA RABIES QUARANTINE; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person violates or attempts to violate a department rule adopted under Section 826.045 governing an area rabies quarantine. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C m…

Sec. 826.047. LIMITATION ON LIABILITY. A veterinarian performing duties under this chapter is not liable to the owner of an animal for the death of or injury to the animal except in a case of wilful misconduct or gross negligence. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 44, Sec. 11, e…

Sec. 826.048. EXEMPTION FROM QUARANTINE REQUIREMENT FOR POLICE SERVICE ANIMALS. (a) In this section, "handler or rider" and "police service animal" have the meanings assigned by Section 38.151, Penal Code. (b) A police service animal is exempt from the quarantine requirement of t…

Sec. 826.051. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR QUARANTINE AND IMPOUNDMENT FACILITIES. (a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules governing the types of facilities that may be used to quarantine animals. (b) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish minimum standards for impou…

Sec. 826.052. INSPECTIONS. An employee of the department, on the presentation of appropriate credentials to the local rabies control authority or the authority's designee, may conduct a reasonable inspection of a quarantine or impoundment facility at a reasonable hour to determin…

Sec. 826.053. HEARING. (a) A person aggrieved by an action of the department in amending, limiting, suspending, or revoking any approval required of the department by this chapter may request a hearing. (b) A hearing held under this section must be conducted in accordance with Ch…

Sec. 826.054. SUITS TO ENJOIN OPERATION OF QUARANTINE OR IMPOUNDMENT FACILITY. (a) At the request of the commissioner, the attorney general may bring suit in the name of the state to enjoin the operation of a quarantine or impoundment facility that fails to meet the minimum stand…

Sec. 826.055. QUARANTINE OR IMPOUNDMENT FACILITY; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person operates a facility for quarantined or impounded animals that fails to meet standards for approval established by: (1) department rules; or (2) ordinances or rules ad…