Texas lawmakers consider bat protection bill

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas lawmakers heard testimony on a bill that would provide new protections for bats.

Senate Bill 1285, filed by Austin Democrat Sarah Eckhardt, would restrict how and when bats can be removed from buildings.

The backstory:

At the Austin Bat Refuge, more than 100 bats are being nursed back to health. 

Lee Mackenzie and Dianne Odegard operate the refuge in East Austin. The two are preparing for summer when bat activity picks up, especially for young pups.

"We're making sure we have all the powders that we use to make the different formulas for the different species of bat babies. And we're hiring our summer interns to help us during the summer when we're raising all the bat pups to release," said Dianne Odegard.

There are 47 bat species in the United States and 32 are located in Texas. 

Lee spoke about two bats that recently arrived at the refuge. One bat was found at UT and is not a local frequent flyer.

"Classic Free Tail bats right here, this guy (the larger bat) is supposed to be in Big Bend right now. We have no idea how he got here. He was found in the Astronomy Building at UT and who knows he might have hitched his ride with the astronomers," said Lee Mackenzie.

What is Senate Bill 1285?

Dig deeper:

Earlier Monday, Dianne and Lee were before the State Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee for a hearing. They were among a group testifying on legislation regarding bat remediation and explained why sealing up exterior holes should never be the first step in the removal process.

"We've seen bats, both dead and alive, hanging half out of an exit encased in hardening, expanding foam, or dead and dying on glue traps," said Dianne Odegard.

SB 1285 amends the state parks and wildlife code. It mandates non-lethal techniques, and the bill also prevents removals between May and August, when bat pups are still learning to fly. 

Under current law, it’s a class c misdemeanor to hunt, purchase, or sell bats, and a special permit is needed to possess them. All that remains in place with Senator Eckhardt’s Bat Bill.

The committee also heard about an incident in Abilene at a mall. The controversial removal made headlines two years ago.

"The property manager sealed a bat roost on the side of the mall. When their natural exit to the outside was blocked, these bats ended up flying through the mall directly in the path of the shopping public," said Amanda Lawler with Bat World Sanctuary.

Most of those who testified voiced opposition to an exception in the bill. It allows animal control experts and health officials to deal with bats, anytime when found in occupied buildings.

"They are the ones who do most of the exclusion or removal work around Austin and in occupied buildings, and we want to make sure that they do it, not during baby season, that they exclude bats rather than simply entombing them in a wall," said Mackenzie.

What's next:

The bill was left pending in committee with an uncertain future, like the tiny creatures being cared for at the refuge in East Austin.

What you can do:

Bat World Sanctuary has more information on the bill and is asking for help. 

For more information, click here.