By Julie Tomascik
Editor
A bill introduced in the Texas Legislature seeks to curb a threat to the state’s livestock: released balloons.
HB 2669 by Rep. Bobby Guerra would establish a voluntary reporting system and public education campaign on the dangers balloon debris poses to livestock.
Texas Farm Bureau recently testified in support of the measure.
“Balloon releases pose a serious threat to our livestock,” said Drew Fuller, TFB associate legislative director, at a March 25 hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock. “When an animal confuses a balloon for food and swallows it, it can often lead to choking and death.”
Under the bill, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension would be tasked with creating a program allowing ranchers to voluntarily report incidents of balloons found on their land, as well as any livestock deaths believed to be caused by balloon ingestion.
AgriLife also would launch an outreach effort to educate the general public on the environmental and agricultural impacts of balloon releases.
Balloon litter poses significant threats to livestock, wildlife and the environment. Balloons, once released, can travel long distances before ending up in fields, water or trees where they can be ingested by animals or contribute to pollution.
The proposed program would not only serve as a tool to collect data but also help raise awareness in both urban and rural communities.
“This bill both educates the public on the consequences of releasing the balloons and establishes a reporting system on the part of AgriLife that ranchers can voluntarily participate in,” Fuller told the committee. “These are steps that will help protect our livestock.”
Information collected through the reporting system would be compiled into an annual report and submitted to the Texas Legislature. The report would also include potential recommendations aimed at discouraging balloon releases.
The bill was left pending by the committee.
Balloon releasing is littering, and potentially starts fires, both illegal. Existing laws should be enforced, and serve as a deterrent to future crime.
Doesn’t go far enough. Should be outlawed. “Educate” people won’t work. They are going to do what they want. Need to have stiff penalties attached to the practice.
A Veterinary told me years ago that when he would go and post a dead cow, part of the time she would have plastic in her system that caused the death
Educating the public is a waste of time. Most people already know. It needs to be made illegal, so there will be consequences.