Bill Text: TX SB326 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the authority of a municipality or a property owners' association to regulate the raising or keeping of chickens.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-15 - Referred to Local Government [SB326 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-SB326-Introduced.html
  88R3627 KBB-D
 
  By: Hall S.B. No. 326
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the authority of a municipality or a property owners'
  association to regulate the raising or keeping of chickens.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 217, Local Government Code, is amended
  by adding Subchapter D to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER D. MISCELLANEOUS REGULATORY AUTHORITY
         Sec. 217.061.  SIX CHICKENS ALLOWED ON SINGLE-FAMILY
  RESIDENTIAL LOT. (a)  Notwithstanding any other law and except as
  provided by Subsection (b), a municipality may not adopt or enforce
  an ordinance that prohibits the raising or keeping of six or fewer
  chickens on a single-family residential lot.
         (b)  A municipality may impose reasonable regulations on the
  raising or keeping of poultry on a single-family residential lot
  that do not have the effect of prohibiting the raising or keeping of
  six or fewer chickens, including:
               (1)  a limit on the number of chickens that may be
  raised or kept in excess of six;
               (2)  a prohibition on breeding poultry;
               (3)  a prohibition on raising or keeping roosters; or
               (4)  the minimum distance between a chicken coop and a
  residential structure.
         (c)  An ordinance adopted by a municipality that violates
  Subsection (a) is void.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 202, Property Code, is amended by adding
  Section 202.024 to read as follows:
         Sec. 202.024.  SIX CHICKENS ALLOWED ON SINGLE-FAMILY
  RESIDENTIAL LOT. (a)  Notwithstanding Section 202.002(a), this
  section applies only to a restrictive covenant created on or after
  September 1, 2023.
         (b)  Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by
  Subsection (c), a property owners' association may not adopt or
  enforce a restrictive covenant that prohibits the raising or
  keeping of six or fewer chickens on a single-family residential
  lot.
         (c)  A property owners' association may adopt and enforce a
  restrictive covenant imposing reasonable requirements on the
  raising or keeping of poultry on a single-family residential lot
  that do not have the effect of prohibiting the raising or keeping of
  six or fewer chickens, including:
               (1)  a limit on the number of chickens that may be
  raised or kept in excess of six;
               (2)  a prohibition on breeding poultry;
               (3)  a prohibition on raising or keeping roosters; or
               (4)  the minimum distance between a chicken coop and
  another lot.
         (d)  A provision that violates Subsection (b) is void.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
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