The department may seize certain citrus items, must notify owners, and may destroy or treat the items in specified cases.
Sec. 71.0091. SEIZURE, TREATMENT, AND DESTRUCTION OF A CITRUS PLANT, CITRUS PLANT PRODUCT, OR CITRUS SUBSTANCE. (a) The department may seize a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance that the department determines: (1) is transported or carried from a quarantined area in violation of a quarantine order; (2) is infected with a disease or insect pest dangerous to a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance, without regard to whether the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance comes from an area known to be infested; or (3) is located within proximity to a plant infected by a disease dangerous to any agricultural or horticultural product and is determined by the department to likely be infected by that disease, regardless of whether the plant currently exhibits symptoms of the disease. (b) If a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance is seized under Subsection (a)(1), the department immediately shall notify the owner that the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance is a public nuisance and that it must be destroyed, treated, or, if feasible, returned to its point of origin. If a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance is seized under Subsection (a)(2) or (3), the department immediately shall notify the owner that the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance is a public nuisance and must be destroyed or treated. (c) If the owner of a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance seized under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) is unknown to the department, the department shall publish or post notice that, not earlier than the fifth day after the first day on which notice is published or posted, the department may destroy the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance. The department shall publish the notice for three consecutive days in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance is located or post the notice in the immediate vicinity of the area in which the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance is located. The notice must describe the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance seized. If the owner claims the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance before the date for destruction set by the notice, the department shall deliver the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance to the owner at the owner's expense. If the owner does not claim the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance before the date the notice specifies that destruction is permitted, the department may destroy or arrange for the destruction of the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance. (d) If the owner of a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance seized by the department under this section fails or refuses to treat or destroy the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance immediately after being instructed to do so by the department, the department may abate the nuisance by destroying the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance or may otherwise treat the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance so that it is no longer a nuisance. In enforcing this subsection, the department may call on the sheriff of the county in which the citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance is located, and the sheriff shall cooperate with the department and provide assistance necessary to abate the nuisance. (e) The owner of a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance treated or destroyed under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) by the department under this section is liable to the department for the costs of treatment or destruction, and the department may sue to collect those costs. (e-1) The department may provide for compensation to an owner of a citrus plant, citrus plant product, or citrus substance destroyed under Subsection (a)(3). (f) The department may enter into an agreement with a private entity to obtain assistance in defraying the cost of implementing this section. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 230, Sec. 1, eff. May 20, 1993. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1050 (H.B. 4577), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.