H.B. No. 4394 amends the Business & Commerce Code to enhance the jurisdiction of county attorneys in prosecuting deceptive trade practices related to price gouging during declared disasters. Specifically, it adds a new subsection (c) to Section 17.4625, granting county attorneys concurrent jurisdiction with the attorney general to prosecute actions under Section 17.46(b)(27). Additionally, it modifies Section 17.48(d) to clarify that county attorneys are not required to obtain permission from the consumer protection division to prosecute violations of Section 17.46(b)(27), provided they give prior written notice as required by Subsection (b).

The bill stipulates that the changes will only apply to causes of action that accrue on or after its effective date, with prior actions governed by the existing law. The act will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses of the legislature; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Commerce Code 17.4625, Commerce Code 17.48 (Commerce Code 17)