Bill Text: TX HB608 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the sale of fireworks before and during the Diwali holiday.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 9-3)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-10 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB608 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB608-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 608 | ||
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| relating to the sale of fireworks before and during the Diwali | ||
| holiday. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 2154.202(h), Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (h) In addition to the periods during which the sale of | ||
| fireworks is authorized under Subsection (g), the commissioners | ||
| court of a county by order may allow a retail fireworks permit | ||
| holder to sell fireworks in that county only to the public and only | ||
| during one or more of the following periods: | ||
| (1) beginning February 25 and ending at midnight on | ||
| March 2; | ||
| (2) beginning April 16 and ending at midnight on April | ||
| 21; [ |
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| (3) beginning the Wednesday before the last Monday in | ||
| May and ending at midnight on the last Monday in May; and | ||
| (4) beginning five days before the first day of Diwali | ||
| and ending at midnight on the last day of Diwali. | ||
| SECTION 2. Sections 352.051(b) and (d), Local Government | ||
| Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
| (b)(1) The Texas A&M Forest Service in the ordinary course | ||
| of its activities shall determine whether drought conditions, as | ||
| defined under Subsection (a)(2), exist on average in any county | ||
| requesting such a determination. The Texas A&M Forest Service | ||
| shall make available the measurement index guidelines used to | ||
| determine whether drought conditions exist in a particular area. | ||
| Following any determination that such drought conditions exist, the | ||
| Texas A&M Forest Service shall notify said county or counties when | ||
| such drought conditions no longer exist. The Texas A&M Forest | ||
| Service shall make its services available each day during the Texas | ||
| Independence Day, San Jacinto Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, | ||
| Diwali, and December fireworks seasons to respond to the request of | ||
| any county for a determination whether drought conditions exist on | ||
| average in the county. | ||
| (2) The Texas A&M Forest Service shall be allowed to | ||
| take such donations of equipment or funds as necessary to aid in the | ||
| carrying out of this section. | ||
| (d) To facilitate compliance with an order adopted under | ||
| Subsection (c), the order must be adopted before: | ||
| (1) February 15 of each year for the Texas | ||
| Independence Day fireworks season; | ||
| (2) April 1 of each year for the San Jacinto Day | ||
| fireworks season; | ||
| (3) April 25 of each year for the Cinco de Mayo | ||
| fireworks season; | ||
| (4) May 15 of each year for the Memorial Day fireworks | ||
| season; | ||
| (5) June 15 of each year for the Fourth of July | ||
| fireworks season; [ |
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| (6) 15 days before the beginning of Diwali for the | ||
| Diwali fireworks season; and | ||
| (7) December 15 of each year for each December | ||
| fireworks season. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 608 was passed by the House on March | ||
| 29, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 8, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 608 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 17, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
