HBA-DMH H.B. 2400 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2400 By: Geren Civil Practices 4/2/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, any person hosting or participating in a horse show or horse exhibition is protected from damages arising from the activity with certain exceptions. The purpose of the law is to expressly recognize that equine activity sponsors and participants understand and accept the inherent dangers of handling and working with equine animals. However, the law does not protect participants and sponsors of nonprofit or countywide livestock shows. For example, a county or nonprofit organization is protected from certain liability under the law if the hosts an equine event, but not if the organization hosts a livestock show that includes other types of animals. House Bill 2400 establishes liability provisions for livestock shows. 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 2400 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to establish provisions for liability for livestock shows equivalent to existing provisions established for liability for equine activities. The bill requires a livestock show sponsor to post and maintain a sign that contains a prescribed warning if the livestock show sponsor manages or controls a stable, barn, corral, or arena at which the livestock show sponsor conducts a livestock show. The bill provides that the livestock show sponsor must post the sign in a clearly visible location near the stable, barn, corral, or arena and specifies the contents for the warning sign. The bill requires the livestock show sponsor to include the prescribed warning in every written contact that the sponsor enters into with a livestock show participant and provides that the warning must be clearly readable. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.