Sec. 81.084. APPLICATION OF CONTROL MEASURES TO PROPERTY. (a) If the department or a health authority has reasonable cause to believe that property in its jurisdiction is or may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease, the department or health authority may place the property in quarantine for the period necessary for a medical examination or technical analysis of samples taken from the property to determine if the property is infected or contaminated. The department or health authority may tag an object for identification with a notice of possible infection or contamination.

(b) The department or health authority shall send notice of its action by registered or certified mail or by personal delivery to the person who owns or controls the property. If the property is land or a structure or an animal or other property on the land, the department or health authority shall also post the notice on the land and at a place convenient to the public in the county courthouse. If the property is infected or contaminated as a result of a public health disaster, the department or health authority is not required to provide notice under this subsection.

(c) The department or health authority shall remove the quarantine and return control of the property to the person who owns or controls it if the property is found not to be infected or contaminated. The department or health authority by written order may require the person who owns or controls the property to impose control measures that are technically feasible to disinfect or decontaminate the property if the property is found to be infected or contaminated.

(d) The department or health authority shall remove the quarantine and return control of the property to the person who owns or controls it if the control measures are effective. If the control measures are ineffective or if there is not a technically feasible control measure available for use, the department or health authority may continue the quarantine and order the person who owns or controls the property:

(1) to destroy the property, other than land, in a manner that disinfects or decontaminates the property to prevent the spread of infection or contamination;

(2) if the property is land, to securely fence the perimeter of the land or any part of the land that is infected or contaminated; or

(3) to securely seal off an infected or contaminated structure or other property on land to prevent entry into the infected or contaminated area until the quarantine is removed by the department or health authority.

(d-1) In a public health disaster, the department or health authority by written order may require a person who owns or controls property to impose control measures that are technically feasible to disinfect or decontaminate the property or, if technically feasible control measures are not available, may order the person who owns or controls the property:

(1) to destroy the property, other than land, in a manner that disinfects or decontaminates the property to prevent the spread of infection or contamination;

(2) if the property is land, to securely fence the perimeter of the land or any part of the land that is infected or contaminated; or

(3) to securely seal off an infected or contaminated structure or other property on land to prevent entry into the infected or contaminated area until the department or health authority authorizes entry into the structure or property.

(e) The department or health authority may petition the county or district court of the county in which the property is located for orders necessary for public health if:

(1) a person fails or refuses to comply with the orders of the department or health authority as required by this section; and

(2) the department or health authority has reason to believe that the property is or may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease that presents an immediate threat to the public health.

(f) After the filing of a petition, the court may grant injunctive relief for the health and safety of the public.

(g) The person who owns or controls the property shall pay all expenses of implementing control measures, court costs, storage, and other justifiable expenses. The court may require the person who owns or controls the property to execute a bond in an amount set by the court to ensure the performance of any control measures, restoration, or destruction ordered by the court. If the property is an object, the bond may not exceed the value of the object in a noninfected or noncontaminated state. The bond shall be returned to the person when the department or health authority informs the court that the property is no longer infected or contaminated or that the property has been destroyed.

(h) If the court finds that the property is not infected or contaminated, it shall order the department or health authority to:

(1) remove the quarantine;

(2) if the property is an object, remove the quarantine tags; and

(3) release the property to the person who owns or controls it.

(i) The department or health authority, as appropriate, shall charge the person who owns or controls the property for the cost of any control measures performed by the department's or health authority's employees. The department shall deposit the payments received to the credit of the general revenue fund to be used for the administration of this chapter. A health authority shall distribute payments received to each county, municipality, or other jurisdiction in an amount proportional to the jurisdiction's contribution to the quarantine and control expense.

(j) In this section, "property" means:

(1) an object;

(2) a parcel of land; or

(3) a structure, animal, or other property on a parcel of land.

(k) In a public health disaster, the department or a health authority may impose additional control measures the department or health authority considers necessary and most appropriate to arrest, control, and eradicate the threat to the public health.

(l) A peace officer, including a sheriff or constable, may use reasonable force to:

(1) secure a property subject to a court order issued under this section; and

(2) except as directed by the department or health authority, prevent an individual from entering or leaving the property subject to the order.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.181, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 314 (H.B. 1690), Sec. 3, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0234, eff. April 2, 2015.