AGRICULTURE CODE
SUBTITLE E. PROCESSING AND SALE OF FIBER PRODUCTS
CHAPTER 111. GINNING AND COMPRESSING COTTON
§ 111.001. GINNERS; PUBLIC USE. A person who operates
a gin in this state for ginning cotton for commercial purposes shall
be known as a ginner and is charged with the public use.
Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1298, ch. 388, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.
§ 111.002. GINNER'S RECORD. Each ginner shall keep in a
book a public record of all cotton brought to the ginner for
ginning. The record shall show:
(1) the amount of cotton received;
(2) the date on which the cotton was received;
(3) the name of the person who brought the cotton to
the gin; and
(4) the name of each person claiming to own the cotton.
Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1298, ch. 388, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.
§ 111.003. IDENTIFICATION OF BALES. (a) Each ginner
shall mark each bale of cotton with the following:
(1) "B____________", filling the blank with the number
of the bale as shown on the books of the gin;
(2) the initials of each party who claims to own the
cotton; and
(3) an individual ginner's mark.
(b) The ginner's mark under Subsection (a) of this section
shall be placed under the initials of the parties claiming
ownership.
Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1299, ch. 388, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.
§ 111.004. BALING. (a) Each bale of cotton ginned by a
ginner shall be wrapped so that:
(1) the bale will be completely covered when
compressed and the ends of the bale are closed and well sewn; and
(2) the markings on the bale will remain intact and
visible under ordinary conditions.
(b) In compressing, recompressing, baling, or rebaling
cotton, each person owning, operating, or working for a compress in
this state shall, prior to delivery of a bale to a common carrier,
bind and tie the bale so that the bale is free of:
(1) dangerously exposed ends of bands or buckles; or
(2) dangerously exposed or protruding parts of ties,
bands, buckles, or splices.
Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1299, ch. 388, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.
§ 111.005. LIABILITY FOR IMPROPER BALING. (a) A
person who delivers to a common carrier a bale of cotton that is not
tied or bound as required by Section 111.004(b) of this code shall
forfeit to the state not less than $50 nor more than $250. A suit
may be brought in the name of the state to recover that forfeiture.
(b) A person who receives for storage, loads for
transportation, or transports in this state a bale that is not tied
or bound as required by Section 111.004(b) of this code is liable
for damages to any of the person's employees who is injured in the
course of employment by a dangerously exposed end of band or buckle
or dangerously exposed or protruding part of a tie, band, buckle, or
splice. The employer and not the employee has the duty to inspect
the bales of cotton.
Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1299, ch. 388, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.
§ 111.007. PENALTIES. (a) A person commits an offense
if the person operates a cotton gin for himself or herself or for
commercial purposes without complying with this chapter.
(b) A person commits an offense if, as a ginner, the person:
(1) fails, neglects, or refuses to keep a record in
accordance with Section 111.002 of this code; or
(2) fails, neglects, or refuses to mark a bale of
cotton with the initials of each party who claims to own the cotton
and with the ginner's mark in the manner required by Section 111.003
of this code.
(c) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1299, ch. 388, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.
Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 230, § 124, eff. Sept. 1,
1989.
