| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 1908 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | relating to the safety of the fresh fruit and vegetables produced in |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | this state. |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | (1) the agricultural industry is a vital part of this |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | state's economy, annually contributing $103 billion, or 9.2 percent |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | of the gross state product, and is the state's second largest |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | resource-based industry, with one in seven Texans being employed in |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | some segment of the agricultural industry; |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (2) food safety must be a top state priority because an |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | accidental or deliberate contamination of food or crops could be |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | detrimental to the state's economy and would undermine consumer |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | confidence in the integrity of food safety in this state; |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (3) the growing and processing of fresh fruits and |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | vegetables is crucial to this state, and since September 11, 2001, |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | awareness of the threat of contamination of those products has |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | increased; and |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (4) this state should increase awareness of food |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | safety among its growers and packers of fresh fruits and vegetables |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | to avoid disastrous events. |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 91, Agriculture Code, is |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | amended by adding Section 91.009 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Sec. 91.009. COORDINATION OF FOOD SAFETY. (a) The |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | department is the lead agency for education and training and shall |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | assist the fresh fruit and vegetable industries with food safety |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | issues and may provide assistance to federal agencies in their |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | implementation of voluntary guidelines relating to sound |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | agricultural practices. |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (b) The department shall coordinate, plan, and approve |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | training and awareness programs for producers and packers of fresh |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | fruits and vegetables. A program under this subsection must inform |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | and educate producers and packers regarding: |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (1) sound agricultural practices; |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (2) proper food handling procedures; |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (3) the prevention of accidental or deliberately |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | planned outbreaks of disease; and |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (4) the enhancement of overall food safety. |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (c) The department shall coordinate the planning and |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | implementation of programs required by Subsection (b) with: |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (1) colleges and universities in this state; |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (2) the Texas AgriLife Extension Service; |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (3) Texas AgriLife Research; |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (4) the Department of State Health Services; and |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | (5) private industry. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (d) The department may adopt rules to implement this |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | section. In the development of rules for the certification of |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | approved food safety curriculum or training, the department shall |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | consult and coordinate with the Department of State Health |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | Services. |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | I certify that H.B. No. 1908 was passed by the House on April |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | 9, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | No. 1908 on May 14, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | 1 present, not voting. |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | I certify that H.B. No. 1908 was passed by the Senate, with |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | amendments, on May 12, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | 0. |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | Secretary of the Senate |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | APPROVED: __________________ |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | Date |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | __________________ |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | Governor |
|---|