(a) Purpose. The purpose of these rules is to ensure that the animals at the Texas Department of Agriculture livestock facilities are secured in quarters that meet the requirements and guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture and the receiving country.     
      (b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.      
        (1) Consignor--Owner, broker, or other person consigning livestock to the livestock facilities or otherwise engaging the services of the facilities.       
        (2) Exotic fowl--Any avian species that is not indigenous to this state.       
        (3) Exotic livestock--Grass-eating or plant-eating, single-hoofed or cloven-footed mammals that are not indigenous to this state and are known as ungulates, including animals for the swine, horse, tapir, rhinoceros, elephant, deer, and antelope families.       
        (4) Livestock facilities--The livestock facilities operated by the department in Brownsville, Del Rio, El Paso, Houston, and Laredo pursuant to Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 146, Subchapter B.       
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §17.30 adopted to be effective May 28, 1993, 18 TexReg 3093; amended to be effective March 5, 1996, 21 TexReg 1526; amended to be effective January 10, 2013, 38 TexReg 241; amended to be effective February 7, 2023, 48 TexReg 506