Tex. Agric. Code § 161.009 · Subchapter A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
CONFIDENTIALITY OF BIOSECURITY AND OTHER SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), information held by the commission is confidential and excepted from disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, if the information consists of or relates to a biosecurity plan, a secure food supply plan, an emergency preparedness plan, or biosecurity data that was voluntarily provided to the commission by an owner or caretaker of an animal.
(b) The commission may release information described by Subsection (a) to:
(1) the attorney general's office, for the purpose of law enforcement;
(2) the secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, for the purpose of animal health protection;
(3) the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, for the purpose of homeland security;
(4) the Department of State Health Services, for the purpose of protecting the public health from zoonotic diseases;
(5) any person, if required by a court order;
(6) a federal, state, municipal, or county emergency management authority, for the purpose of management or response to natural or man-made disasters; or
(7) any person the executive director of the commission considers appropriate, if:
(A) the executive director determines that:
(i) livestock may be threatened by a disease, agent, or pest; and
(ii) the release of the information is related to actions the commission may take in performance of its powers and duties; or
(B) the executive director determines that the release of the information is necessary for emergency management purposes under Chapter 418, Government Code.
(c) The commission's release of confidential information under Subsection (b):
(1) does not affect the confidentiality of the information;
(2) is not an offense under Section 552.352, Government Code; and
(3) is not a voluntary disclosure for purposes of Section 552.007, Government Code.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 850 (H.B. 3257), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/AG/htm/AG.161.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 1ca5742148c3cf8b623cd4e823ff9231647f772aeaad0e8b05003829caa03fb9
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Government Code
- Tex. Gov't Code ch. 418EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTPrinted as Chapter 418, Government Code
- Tex. Gov't Code ch. 552PUBLIC INFORMATIONPrinted as Chapter 552, Government Code
- Tex. Gov't Code § 552.007VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION WHEN DISCLOSURE NOT REQUIRED.Printed as Section 552.007, Government Code
- Tex. Gov't Code § 552.352DISTRIBUTION OR MISUSE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.Printed as Section 552.352, Government Code
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.