Bill: HB 1300, 86(R) - 2019

Committee

House Culture, Recreation, & Tourism

2nd Chamber Committee

Senate Water & Rural Affairs

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
Yes Positive Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral

Author(s)

Todd Hunter
John Cyrier
Todd Hunter
Eddie Lucio III
Geanie Morrison
Dade Phelan

Co-Author(s)

Will Metcalf
Ina Minjarez
Leo Pacheco
John Raney

Bill Caption

Relating to cultivated oyster mariculture; authorizing fees; creating a criminal offense.


Fiscal Notes

According to the Legislative Budget Board, The bill would have an indeterminate, but positive, fiscal impact to the state because the amount of licensing applications and associated revenues for the new cultivated oyster mariculture program and the number of convictions and penalty amounts increasing court cost revenues from new criminal penalties cannot be determined.

Bill Analysis

HB 1300 would create a program under the Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for cultivation of oyster farms. The bill defines “cultivated oyster mariculture” for the clarification of what the program would include. HB 1300 would require the oversight of this program to be coordinated with the following state agencies: Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Department of Agriculture, the General Land Office (GLO), and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

This bill would also create a permit for the cultivation of certain oysters. Violations under this program would include bartering or selling oysters without a permit. The penalty for this offense would include a Class C Misdemeanor, and in the event of any additional violations, the penalty would be upgraded to a Class B Misdemeanor. HB 1300 also prohibits a person from placing any oyster mariculture equipment on public land without an approved lease.

Furthermore, 20% of the fees collected by TPWD under this program would be used for the cleanup of illegal or abandoned oyster equipment or related waste.

At its core this bill opens the door to a new industry in Texas (oyster farming) and provides the regulatory framework within which the industry will operate. 

Vote Recommendation Notes

Texas Action supports this bill because it would open the door to a new industry that is currently prohibited in Texas. While we do not endorse all of the regulatory framework that comes along with it, this new industry will allow people build and grow a new sector in the Texas economy. For these reasons we support HB 1300.

Organizations Supporting

Coastal Conservation Association Texas
Texas Travel Industry Association

Source URL (retrieved on 03/29/2024 09:03 AM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/86r/hb1300?print_view=true