83R9583 AJZ-D
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1208
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of a regional food economy and food access
task force.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. REGIONAL FOOD ECONOMY AND FOOD ACCESS TASK
FORCE. (a) The regional food economy and food access task force is
created to study and provide recommendations to the legislature on
developing this state's regional food economy and improving access
to healthy food for the people in this state.
(b) The task force consists of nine members appointed as
follows:
(1) one member who is a representative of the food
retail industry with experience in grocery stores, appointed by the
governor;
(2) one member who is a representative of the food
retail industry with experience in convenience stores, appointed by
the governor;
(3) one member who is a representative of a community
development financial institution, appointed by the governor;
(4) one member who is a large-scale farmer, as defined
by the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the
lieutenant governor;
(5) one member who is a small-scale farmer, as defined
by the United States Department of Agriculture, with experience in
farmers markets, appointed by the lieutenant governor;
(6) one member who is a representative of a food bank,
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(7) one member who is a representative of a regional
food advocacy group, appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives;
(8) one representative of the Texas Department of
Agriculture, appointed by the commissioner of agriculture; and
(9) one representative of the Texas A&M AgriLife
Extension Service, appointed by the chancellor of The Texas A&M
University System.
(c) The representative of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Service serves as the presiding officer of the task force.
(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation or
reimbursement of expenses.
(e) The task force shall:
(1) examine the following food economy goals:
(A) creating and retaining family-wage jobs;
(B) expanding export and local markets for
regional products;
(C) developing regional public-private
partnerships and leveraging existing public-private partnership
efforts; and
(D) improving access to healthy food and food
security, protecting natural resources, and enhancing community
connections; and
(2) develop recommendations for legislation and state
agency programming that will improve this state's regional food
economy and improve access to healthy food for the people in this
state.
(f) The task force shall meet not later than the 30th day
after the date the last initial appointment is made. The task force
shall meet regularly as necessary at the call of the presiding
officer.
(g) Not later than September 1, 2014, the task force shall:
(1) submit to the legislature a report outlining
legislative recommendations and recommendations for state agency
programming; and
(2) provide a presentation on the task force's
recommendations to the standing committee of each house of the
legislature with primary jurisdiction over economic development.
SECTION 2. EXPIRATION. The task force established under
this Act is abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2015.
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.