AGRICULTURE CODE CHAPTER 148. SLAUGHTERING OF LIVESTOCK

AGRICULTURE CODE

TITLE 6. PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, AND SALE OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS

SUBTITLE B. LIVESTOCK

CHAPTER 148. SLAUGHTERING OF LIVESTOCK

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 148.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "slaughterer" means a person engaged in the business of slaughtering livestock for profit.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1385, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 308, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 681 (H.B. 92), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 602 (H.B. 3361), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.

Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 644 (H.B. 4559), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2023.

Sec. 148.002. SLAUGHTERER TO REGISTER. (a) Before engaging in business as a slaughterer, a person must register with the county clerk, giving the person's name and intent to engage in business as a slaughterer.

(b) This section does not apply to a person who slaughters at least 300 head of cattle a day.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1385, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.003. SLAUGHTER OF UNBRANDED OR UNMARKED LIVESTOCK; SLAUGHTER WITHOUT BILL OF SALE. (a) A slaughterer may not purchase or slaughter for market livestock that is unmarked or unbranded.

(b) A slaughterer may not purchase and slaughter any animal without receiving a bill of sale or written transfer from the person selling the livestock.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1385, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

SUBCHAPTER B. RECORDS AND REPORTS

Sec. 148.011. RECORD OF PURCHASE AND SLAUGHTER. (a) In accordance with this section, a slaughterer shall keep a record of all livestock purchased or slaughtered. Both the slaughterer and the person managing the slaughtering operations are responsible for maintaining records under this section. A person who owns or operates a locker plant and leases, rents, or furnishes space to others in that plant for profit shall keep records in accordance with this section as if that person were a slaughterer.

(b) Each slaughterer shall record in a bound volume:

(1) a description of the livestock by kind, color, sex, probable age, any marks and brands, and the location of any marks and brands;

(2) the name and address of the person from whom the livestock was purchased or acquired or for whom the livestock was slaughtered;

(3) if the livestock is delivered to the slaughterer by someone other than the slaughterer or the slaughterer's agent, the name and address of the individual delivering the livestock and the make, model, and license plate number of the vehicle in which the livestock was delivered; and

(4) the date of delivery of the livestock to the slaughterer.

(c) The record must be prepared and made available to the Texas Animal Health Commission and for public inspection within 24 hours after the slaughterer receives the livestock. The slaughterer shall preserve the record for at least two years and shall keep the record open for public inspection at all reasonable hours.

(d) The Texas Animal Health Commission shall disseminate the provisions of this section and Section 148.063 of this code to interested persons. The commission shall carry out occasional spot checks of places maintained by slaughterers in order to determine if the provisions of this section are complied with.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1385, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 836, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 780, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 604, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Sec. 148.012. REPORTS TO COUNTY. (a) At each regular meeting of the county commissioners court, each slaughterer shall make a sworn report relating to the animals slaughtered since the last regular meeting of the court. The report must provide:

(1) the number of animals slaughtered;

(2) the color, age, sex, and marks and brands of each animal slaughtered;

(3) a bill of sale or written conveyance for each animal purchased for slaughter; and

(4) a notation of any slaughtered animals that were raised by the slaughterer.

(b) The slaughterer shall file the report required by Subsection (a) of this section with the county clerk.

(c) In addition to the report made under Subsection (a), a slaughterer of cattle or horses shall file with the county clerk a record showing:

(1) the marks, brands, and general description of the cattle or horses;

(2) the names of the persons from whom the cattle or horses were purchased;

(3) the date of purchase; and

(4) the county from which the cattle or horses were driven.

(d) The slaughterer shall file the record required by Subsection (c) on the first day of each month with the county clerk of the county where the cattle or horses were slaughtered. The clerk shall copy the report into records maintained for that purpose and return the original to the person recording the information.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1386, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1248, Sec. 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 780, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

SUBCHAPTER C. PAYMENT FOR LIVESTOCK PURCHASED FOR SLAUGHTER

Sec. 148.021. MEAT PROCESSOR. A person is a meat processor subject to this subchapter if the person is engaged in the business of slaughtering cattle, sheep, goats, or hogs and processing or packaging them for sale as meat.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1387, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.022. TIME AND METHOD OF PAYMENT FOR PURCHASES. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this section or by agreement, a meat processor, or any other person, who purchases cattle, sheep, goats, or hogs for slaughter shall make payment for the livestock by:

(1) cash or check for the purchase price actually delivered to the seller or the seller's representative at the location where the purchaser takes physical possession of the livestock and on the day of the transaction; or

(2) wire transfer of funds on the business day on which possession of the livestock is transferred.

(b) If transfer of possession of the livestock is accomplished after normal banking hours, the purchaser shall make payment no later than the close of the first business day following the transfer of possession.

(c) If the livestock is purchased on the basis of grade and yield, the purchaser shall make payment by wire transfer of funds no later than the close of the first business day following determination of the grade and yield.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1387, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.023. AGREEMENT ON TIME AND METHOD OF PAYMENT. (a) The purchaser and seller of cattle, sheep, goats, or hogs, or other expressly authorized agents, may agree in writing on a method of payment other than that provided by Section 148.022 of this code.

(b) An agreement under this section must state that it may be canceled at any time by either party, after which payment must be made in accordance with Section 148.022 of this code.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1387, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.024. DELAY IN COLLECTION OF PAYMENT INSTRUMENTS. An instrument issued in payment for livestock under this subchapter shall be drawn on banks that are so located as not to artificially delay collection of funds through mail or otherwise cause an undue lapse of time in the clearance process.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1387, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.025. DAMAGES. A purchaser who fails to pay for livestock as provided by this subchapter or who artificially delays the collection of funds for the payment is liable to the seller of the livestock for the purchase price and:

(1) damages in an amount equal to 12 percent of the purchase price;

(2) interest on the purchase price at the highest legal rate from the transfer of possession until payment is made in accordance with this subchapter; and

(3) a reasonable attorney's fee for the prosecution of collection of the payment.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1387, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.026. LIEN. (a) To secure all or part of the sales price, a person who sells cattle, sheep, goats, or hogs for slaughter has a lien on each animal sold and on the carcass of the animal, products from the animal, and proceeds from the sale of the animal, its carcass, or its products.

(b) A lien under this section is attached and perfected on delivery of the livestock to the purchaser without further action. The lien continues as to the animal, its carcass, its products, and the proceeds of any sale without regard to possession by the party entitled to the lien.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1388, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.027. COMMINGLING OF LIVESTOCK UNDER LIEN. (a) If an animal, its carcass, or its products is under a lien and is commingled with other livestock, carcasses, or products so that the identity is lost, the lien extends to all of the commingled animals, carcasses, or products as if the lien had been perfected originally in all of them.

(b) Each lien extended under this section is on a parity with any other lien extended under this section.

(c) A lien extended under this section is not enforceable against a person without actual knowledge of the lien who purchases one or more of the carcasses or products in the ordinary course of trade or business from the party who commingled the carcasses or products, nor against a subsequent transferee from that purchaser, but is enforceable against the proceeds of that sale.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1388, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.028. PRIORITY OF LIEN. A lien under this subchapter has priority over any other lien or perfected security interest in the animal, its carcass, its products, or proceeds from the sale of the animal, its carcass, or its products.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1388, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.029. FEE FOR HORSES SOLD TO SLAUGHTERER. (a) A slaughterer shall pay the following fees for each horse purchased for slaughter:

(1) $2 to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service; and

(2) $3 to the department, agency, or association authorized and designated by the secretary of agriculture of the United States to inspect livestock in Texas under 7 U.S.C. Section 217a.

(b) The slaughterer shall remit the fees required by Subsection (a) on a weekly basis.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 780, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Sec. 148.030. INSPECTION OF HORSES SOLD THROUGH CERTAIN SLAUGHTERHOUSES. The department, agency, or association authorized to inspect livestock under 7 U.S.C. Section 217a shall inspect for identification purposes each horse held, handled, purchased, or sold through a slaughterhouse.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 780, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

SUBCHAPTER D. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE ONLY TO CERTAIN COUNTIES

Sec. 148.041. APPLICATION OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter does not apply to the following counties: Anderson, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bowie, Brazos, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Camp, Cass, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Dallas, Delta, Denton, DeWitt, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Franklin, Freestone, Galveston, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Johnson, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Lamar, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Llano, Madison, Marion, Mason, McLennan, Milam, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Palo, Pinto, Panola, Polk, Rains, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Sutton, Tarrant, Titus, Travis, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, Walker, Waller, Washington, Williamson, and Wood.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1388, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.042. SLAUGHTERER'S BOND. (a) Before engaging in business as a slaughterer of cattle, a person must file a bond with the clerk of the county court of the county in which the person is to conduct business. The bond is subject to approval by the county judge and must be:

(1) in an amount not less than $200 nor more than $1,000;

(2) payable to the State of Texas; and

(3) conditioned that the slaughterer will comply with the requirements of this subchapter.

(b) A district or county attorney of the county in which the bond is filed may sue on the bond of a slaughterer who violates a provision of this subchapter. Any sum recovered by suit on the bond shall be deposited in the county treasury to the credit of the available school fund.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1388, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.043. RECORDS. (a) A slaughterer of cattle shall keep a true and faithful record, in a book kept for that purpose, of all cattle purchased or slaughtered, including:

(1) a description of each animal, including marks, brands, age, color, and weight;

(2) the name of the person from whom the cattle were purchased; and

(3) the date of each purchase.

(b) A slaughterer shall keep records under this section open for public inspection at reasonable hours.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1389, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 148.045. PURCHASE OF SLAUGHTERED CATTLE WITHOUT HIDE OR EARS. A slaughterer may not purchase cattle that have been slaughtered by another person if:

(1) the slaughtered animal is not accompanied by the hide and ears; or

(2) the ear mark or brand on the hide accompanying a slaughtered animal has been changed, mutilated, or destroyed.

Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1389, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

SUBCHAPTER E. PENALTIES

Sec. 148.061. FAILURE TO REGISTER. (a) A person required by Section 148.002 of this code to register as a slaughterer commits an offense if the person fails to register.

(b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $25.