---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to the regulation of beekeeping; imposing fees and authorizing other fees; expanding the applicability of an occupational permit."
description: "Relating to the regulation of beekeeping; imposing fees and authorizing other fees; expanding the applicability of an occupational permit."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "88"
identifier: "HB 4538"
citation: "Texas HB 4538 (88)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Agriculture (I0020)", "Animals (I0035)", "PERMITS (S0011)", "SIGNS (S0235)", "STATE HEALTH SERVICES", "DEPARTMENT OF (V0463)", "TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE (U64M3)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kacal", "LaMantia"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 51
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2023-03-09"
last_action: "2023-06-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1f714eb7-14a8-4a25-af0e-023d87cb7e1e"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/88R/billhistory/house_bills/HB04500_HB04599/HB 4538.xml"
source_hash: "3c1096c0dc221285c41fd620052f2efd72d66c23b42437e127bce796dff269ae"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tx"]
---

# Texas HB 4538 (88) — Relating to the regulation of beekeeping; imposing fees and authorizing other fees; expanding the applicability of an occupational permit.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB04538I.HTM)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB04538E.HTM)
3. **House Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB04538H.HTM)
4. **Senate Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB04538S.HTM)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB04538F.HTM)

## Votes

- passage — **120–14** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Kacal — primary (person)
- LaMantia — primary (person)
- Zaffirini — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-03-09** Filed `filing`
- **2023-03-22** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-03-22** Referred to Agriculture & Livestock `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-05** Considered in public hearing
- **2023-04-05** Committee substitute considered in committee `substitution`
- **2023-04-05** Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- **2023-04-05** Left pending in committee
- **2023-04-12** Considered in public hearing
- **2023-04-12** Committee substitute considered in committee `substitution`
- **2023-04-12** Recommended to be sent to Local & Consent `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-12** Reported favorably as substituted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-27** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator `filing`
- **2023-04-27** Committee report distributed
- **2023-05-01** Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar
- **2023-05-03** Considered in Local & Consent Calendars
- **2023-05-06** Placed on Local, Consent, and Res. Calendar
- **2023-05-06** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2023-05-06** Passed to engrossment
- **2023-05-06** Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
- **2023-05-06** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2023-05-06** Passed `passage`
- **2023-05-06** Record vote
- **2023-05-06** Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
- **2023-05-06** Reported engrossed
- **2023-05-08** Received from the House `introduction`
- **2023-05-10** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-05-10** Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2023-05-19** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2023-05-19** Considered in public hearing
- **2023-05-19** Vote taken in committee
- **2023-05-19** Reported favorably w/o amendments `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-05-19** Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
- **2023-05-19** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2023-05-22** Placed on intent calendar
- **2023-05-23** Co-sponsor authorized
- **2023-05-23** Placed on local & uncontested calendar
- **2023-05-24** Laid before the Senate `receipt`
- **2023-05-24** Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading `reading-2`
- **2023-05-24** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2023-05-24** Three day rule suspended
- **2023-05-24** Record vote
- **2023-05-24** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2023-05-24** Passed `passage`
- **2023-05-24** Record vote
- **2023-05-25** Senate passage reported `passage`
- **2023-05-26** Reported enrolled `enrolled`
- **2023-05-27** Signed in the House `passage`
- **2023-05-29** Signed in the Senate `passage`
- **2023-05-30** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2023-06-13** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-06-13** Effective on 9/1/23 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1f714eb7-14a8-4a25-af0e-023d87cb7e1e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).