HBA-MSH H.B. 1511 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1511 By: Williams County Affairs 2/19/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the commissioners court of a county is not authorized to prohibit or regulate the keeping of a wild animal by an animal exhibitor licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act. "Wild animal" means a lion tiger, other large cats, hyena, bear, lesser panda, binturong, wolf, ape, elephant, and rhinoceros. House Bill 1511 authorizes the commissioners court of a county to prohibit or regulate the keeping of a wild animal by a licensed animal exhibitor in that county RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House bill 1511 amends the Local Government Code to remove the provision that exempts an exhibitor of wild animals who is licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act from the authority of the commissioners court of a county to prohibit or regulate the keeping of a wild animal. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.