Texas Chicken Bill

[Pepper2020]

All,

I have posted several times regarding the legislative process in Texas and yes I will post this on the Texas section as well. Please reach out to your Texas state Senators and Representatives to push them on HB 1686 and on SB 1062. These bills allow for Texans to have the right to produce food on their own property. These don't just include chicken rights but gardens as well.

If you do not know how to contact your representative or senator this link will take you to a webpage that allows you to find them:

https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

Please reach out to your state senator and representative and press them on supporting this bill.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It sounds similar to the federal 'right to farm' law.
That one doesn't have much teeth when it comes to local ordinances and especially subdivision indentures. The latter are even more ironclad than city ordinances. Meaning that even if a city allows chickens, they can still be denied by a subdivision.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

It sounds similar to the federal 'right to farm' law.
That one doesn't have much teeth when it comes to local ordinances and especially subdivision indentures. The latter are even more ironclad than city ordinances. Meaning that even if a city allows chickens, they can still be denied by a subdivision.

The various State "Right to Farm" acts were generally intended to protect COMMERCIAL farming operations. As such, most are simply inapplicable to owners in (often small lot) residential communities wanting to use the Act for a backyard flock of a few birds, or a pet pig, or a support animal in the llama/mule/miniature pony size, etc.

Local zoning is, well, local - the Act isn't toothless, it simply wasn't designed to chew on that particular piece of gristle. It was intended to prevent the law of Nuisance from being used to harass farming operations at scale.

HOAs and the like are a binding contract between land owners in a particular geographic area. Don't like the rules? don't move there. Don't like the possibility your neighbors will vote away your rights to legally use your property as you wish? don't move there.

By not seeking to unilaterally amend existing HOA (and similar) restrictions, the TX Legislature seeks to aid (and speed) passage by avoiding known sources of well funded antipathy to the bill. Its an understandable strategic choice - particularly as similar bills have failed in the past, one is unlikely to promote passage in the present by multiplying one's enemies in opposition.