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TEXAS LEGISLATION 2007

HB 1466  - TEXAS VICTORY!
The Naturist Action Committee (NAC) has declared victory in the fight against a legislative bill that threatened naturists in the state of Texas. Texas House Bill 1466 attempted statewide regulation of sexually oriented businesses. The bill's broad primary definition would have included naturist and nudist parks, camps and resorts. Any other business (like a health club or bowling alley) that might be rented or used temporarily for naturist activities could also have been defined as a sexually oriented business.

With help from NAC and NAC's professional legislative lobbyist, House Bill 1466 found itself mired in committee. The bill died.

Rep. Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) was the sponsor of HB 1466. Rep. Zedler has a history of sponsoring legislation that reflects his fascinated focus on regulating and criminalizing the bodies and body parts of others. As the late political commentator Molly Ivins wrote a couple of years ago, "Zedler's against pubic hair. We still have a $10 billion deficit."

Despite his lawmaking eccentricities, Rep. Zedler has seen success a fair number of times with his legislation. Having been elected to the Texas legislature in 2002 with the help of money from the political action group of discredited former Congressman Tom DeLay, Rep. Zedler enjoys the faithful core support of a significant number of fellow lawmakers who came to the legislature with the same help.

The threat to naturists from House Bill 1466 was frightening and easy to understand. To the customary list of sexually oriented business definitions, HB 1466 added "any other commercial enterprise ... whose employees or customers appear in a state of nudity."

Not only would the definition have applied to every naturist and nudist park in the state, it would have included gyms, spas and pools with changing rooms.

The Naturist Action Committee took the threat of House Bill 1466 very seriously, refusing to assume that the broadness of Rep. Zedler's definition was unintentional. The legislation, had it passed intact, would have been a back breaker for naturists.

NAC TAKES SWIFT ACTION
Immediately after House Bill 1466 was filed, the Naturist Action Committee hired a professional Texas legislative lobbyist for assistance, advice and representation. While working behind the scenes to kill the bill, NAC and its lobbyist also developed and presented revised language for HB 1466.

NAC considered it essential to assure that naturist resorts and parks in Texas would not be considered "sexually oriented businesses." At the same time, NAC saw it as equally important that other commercial venues would not be discouraged from allowing naturist usage, out of concern for being labeled as "sexually oriented businesses." The revised language that NAC developed was based on conditions of usage, and not on organizational affiliation.

On February 21, 2007, the Naturist Action Committee issued a NAC Advisory concerning House Bill 1466. The text of that Advisory is archived on the Web site of the Naturist Action Committee.

Texas House Bill 1466 is an example of legislation that can be dispatched most effectively by keeping a low profile. NAC chose not to call for the sort of grass roots action that can be so very effective in other situations.

For more information on NAC's action againat Texas House Bill 1466, click here to see a February 21, 2007 NAC Advisory, informing naturists of the threat. Click here to see a May 25, 2007, NAC Update detailing the VICTORY!
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The Texas legislature is not scheduled to meet in regular session in 2008.

The NAC board member responsible for Texas is Bob Morton
 

View the state laws for Texas.

© 2007 Naturist Action Committee, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.