The commission may regulate animal movement, including feral swine, and the executive director may modify movement restrictions for hardship cases.
Sec. 161.054. REGULATION OF MOVEMENT OF ANIMALS; EXCEPTION. (a) As a control measure, the commission by rule may regulate the movement of animals, including feral swine. The commission may restrict the intrastate movement of animals, including feral swine, even though the movement of the animals is unrestricted in interstate or international commerce. The commission may require testing, vaccination, or another epidemiologically sound procedure before or after animals are moved. (b) The commission by rule may prohibit or regulate the movement of animals, including feral swine, into a quarantined herd, premise, or area. (c) The commission may not adopt a rule that prohibits a person from moving animals, including feral swine, owned by that person within unquarantined contiguous lands owned or controlled by that person. (d) On application of the owner of an animal, including a feral swine, a restriction on the movement of the animal imposed under this chapter may be modified by order of the executive director of the commission if the owner demonstrates that the restriction will result in unusual hardship for the owner. In considering an application under this section, the executive director may consider the effect of prolonged drought, inadequacy of pasturage or unusual feed supply resulting from disaster or other unforeseeable circumstances, or economic hardship. (e) In connection with the regulation of the movement of feral swine, the commission by rule may require disease testing before movement of a feral swine from one location to another, and establish the conditions under which feral swine may be transported. (f) The commission's authority to regulate the movement of feral swine may not interfere with the authority of the Parks and Wildlife Department to regulate the hunting or trapping of feral swine. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 31, Sec. 1, eff. April 27, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1242 (H.B. 2543), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2007.