Bill > HB1904

This bill creates a new criminal offense related to the intentional release of balloons outside of roofed structures, with escalating penalties based on the weight or volume of balloons released. Specifically, the bill defines a "balloon" as a bag of inflatable material made of Mylar and establishes a tiered misdemeanor and felony system for balloon releases. A Class C misdemeanor applies to releases of 5 pounds or less, while a Class B misdemeanor covers releases between 5 and 500 pounds. Releases of 500 pounds or more, or commercial releases of more than 5 pounds, become Class A misdemeanors, and releases exceeding 1,000 pounds or 200 cubic feet are classified as state jail felonies. The bill includes exceptions for scientific or meteorological balloon releases by government agencies and for recoverable hot air balloons. Additionally, convicted individuals will be required to perform community service, typically involving litter pickup or recycling work. The law also modifies existing definitions of "litter" to explicitly include balloons and provides that repeat offenders may face increased penalties. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, and aims to reduce environmental pollution caused by balloon releases.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs, Justice

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1904