Sec. 87.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Engages in a farm animal activity" means riding, handling, training, driving, loading, unloading, feeding, vaccinating, exercising, weaning, transporting, producing, herding, corralling, branding, or dehorning of, assisting in or providing health management activities for, assisting in the medical treatment of, being a passenger on, or assisting a participant or sponsor with a farm animal. The term includes management of a show involving farm animals and engagement in routine or customary activities on a farm to handle and manage farm animals. The term does not include being a spectator at a farm animal activity unless the spectator is in an unauthorized area and in immediate proximity to the farm animal activity.

(2) "Equine animal" means a horse, pony, mule, donkey, or hinny.

(2-a) "Farm" means any real estate, land area, facility, or ranch used wholly or partly for raising, cultivating, propagating, fattening, grazing, or any other farming, livestock, agricultural, apicultural, or aquacultural operation.

(2-b) "Farm animal" means:

(A) an equine animal;

(B) a bovine animal;

(C) a sheep or goat;

(D) a pig or hog;

(E) a ratite, including an ostrich, rhea, or emu;

(F) a chicken or other fowl; or

(G) a honeybee kept in a managed colony.

(3) "Farm animal activity" means:

(A) a farm animal show, fair, competition, performance, rodeo, event, or parade that involves any farm animal;

(B) training or teaching activities involving a farm animal;

(C) owning, raising, boarding, or pasturing a farm animal, including daily care;

(D) riding, inspecting, evaluating, handling, transporting, loading, or unloading a farm animal belonging to another, without regard to whether the owner receives monetary consideration or other thing of value for the use of the farm animal or permits a prospective purchaser of the farm animal to ride, inspect, evaluate, handle, load, or unload the farm animal;

(E) informal farm animal activity, including a ride, trip, or hunt that is sponsored by a farm animal activity sponsor or a farm owner or lessee;

(F) placing or replacing horseshoes on an equine animal;

(G) examining or administering medical treatment to a farm animal by a veterinarian;

(H) assisting in or providing animal health management activities, including vaccination;

(I) assisting in or conducting customary tasks on a farm concerning farm animals;

(J) transporting or moving a farm animal; or

(K) without regard to whether the participants are compensated, rodeos and single event competitions, including team roping, calf roping, and single steer roping.

(4) "Farm animal activity sponsor" means:

(A) a person or group who sponsors, owns, organizes, or provides the facilities for a farm animal activity, including facilities for a pony club, 4-H club, hunt club, riding club, therapeutic riding program, or high school or college class, program, or activity, without regard to whether the person operates for profit; or

(B) an owner or operator of, instructor at, or promoter for facilities, including a stable, clubhouse, pony ride string, fair, or arena at which a farm animal activity is held.

(5) "Farm animal professional" means a person engaged for compensation:

(A) to instruct a participant or rent to a participant a farm animal for the purpose of riding, driving, or being a passenger on the farm animal;

(B) to rent equipment or tack to a participant;

(C) to examine or administer medical treatment to a farm animal as a veterinarian or to provide nonmedical care or treatment to a farm animal, including vaccination;

(D) to provide veterinarian or farrier services;

(E) to assist in or provide animal health management activities, including vaccination;

(F) to provide other care, feeding, and husbandry of farm animals;

(G) to assist in or conduct customary tasks on a farm concerning farm animals; or

(H) to transport or move a farm animal.

(6) "Livestock animal" means:

(A) an animal raised for human consumption; or

(B) a farm animal.

(6-a) "Livestock producer" means a person who owns, handles, breeds, raises, buys, sells, or feeds livestock animals.

(7) "Livestock show" means a nonprofit event at which more than two species or breeds of livestock animals are gathered for exhibition or competition.

(8) "Livestock show sponsor" means a recognized group or association that organizes and sanctions a livestock show, including a political subdivision or nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by being listed as an exempt organization in Section 501(c)(3) of that code.

(9) "Participant" means:

(A) with respect to a farm animal activity, a person who engages in the activity, without regard to whether the person:

(i) is an amateur or professional;

(ii) pays for the activity or participates in the activity for free; or

(iii) is an independent contractor or employee; and

(B) with respect to a livestock show, a person who registers for and is allowed by a livestock show sponsor to compete in a livestock show by showing an animal on a competitive basis, or a person who assists that person.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 549, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1108, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 896 (S.B. 479), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.

Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 219 (H.B. 365), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2021.