The bill, H.B. No. 448, proposes the addition of Section 822.008 to the Health and Safety Code, which allows municipal animal control authorities to seize and impound dangerous or aggressive dogs within a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction. The bill defines an "aggressive dog" as one that makes an unprovoked attack on domestic animals or livestock, resulting in bodily injury, and occurring outside of a secure enclosure. To initiate the seizure, the animal control authority must receive a notarized affidavit signed by at least two residents from different households, detailing the dog's aggressive behavior and the unsafe conditions it creates.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that the authority can only act if there is no authorized animal control authority operating in the extraterritorial jurisdiction, or if the existing authority does not provide for the seizure or impoundment of such dogs. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds vote from both houses of the legislature, or on September 1, 2025, if that vote is not achieved.

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