Texas · Through 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025

Tex. Health and Safety Code § 81.089: TRANSPORTATION; CRIMINAL PENALTY.

(a) A person commits an offense if, before notifying the department or health authority at a port of entry or a place of first landing or first arrival in this state, the person knowingly or intentionally:
(1) transports or causes to be transported into this state an object the person knows or suspects may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease that is a threat to the public health;
(2) transports or causes to be transported into this state an individual who the person knows has or is the carrier of a communicable disease that is a threat to the public health; or
(3) transports or causes to be transported into this state a person, animal, or object in a private or common carrier or a private conveyance that the person knows is or suspects may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease that is a threat to the public health.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except that if the person acts with the intent to harm or defraud another, the offense is a felony of the third degree.
Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.185, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Where this section sits in the code

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
TITLE 2. HEALTH
SUBTITLE D. PREVENTION, CONTROL, AND REPORTS OF DISEASES; PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES
CHAPTER 81. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES; PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTERS; PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES
SUBCHAPTER E. CONTROL; PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTERS; PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES

(1) transports or causes to be transported into this state an object the person knows or suspects may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease that is a threat to the public health;

(2) transports or causes to be transported into this state an individual who the person knows has or is the carrier of a communicable disease that is a threat to the public health; or

(3) transports or causes to be transported into this state a person, animal, or object in a private or common carrier or a private conveyance that the person knows is or suspects may be infected or contaminated with a communicable disease that is a threat to the public health.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except that if the person acts with the intent to harm or defraud another, the offense is a felony of the third degree.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.185, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Collected 2026-08-27T01:47:17Z. Source file · JSON

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