| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Negative | Neutral | Negative | Negative | Negative |
Relating to the source of dogs and cats sold by pet stores; providing a civil penalty.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 1818 would require pet stores to sell cats and dogs obtained only from an animal control agency, an animal shelter, an animal rescue organization, or a qualified breeder. Qualified breeders would be required to have the appropriate state license. The bill would also mandate that pet stores maintain a record of where they got a cat or dog from the aforementioned sources for a year, and to post in a conspicuous location affixed to the enclosure of each dog or cat available for sale, which of the sources the pet store got the animal from.
The bill would make a pet store that violates this bill liable to the state for a civil penalty of not more than $500 per cat or dog. The attorney general may bring an action to collect the civil penalty imposed by this bill.
Texas Action opposes HB 1818 because it violates the free market, individual liberty, personal responsibility and limited government principles. The state has no business forcing pet stores to adhere to the standards laid out in this bill, let alone charging them $500 per cat or dog that doesn't meet the standards of this bill.