Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB772 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Uresti S.B. No. 772
2	2	(Springer)
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the elimination of obsolete and redundant reporting
8	8	requirements for the Department of Agriculture.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subsections (b), (c), and (d), Section 58.016,
11	11	Agriculture Code, are amended to read as follows:
12	12	(b) On or before August 1 of each year, the administrator
13	13	shall file with the board the proposed annual budgets for the young
14	14	farmer loan guarantee program under Subchapter E, the farm and
15	15	ranch finance program under Chapter 59, and the programs
16	16	administered by the board under this chapter for the succeeding
17	17	fiscal year. If there is no administrator, the commissioner shall
18	18	assume the duties of the administrator in connection with
19	19	preparation of the budget. The budget must set forth the general
20	20	categories of expected expenditures out of revenues and income of
21	21	the funds administered by the authority and the amount on account of
22	22	each. On or before September 1 of each year, the board shall
23	23	consider the proposed annual budget and may approve it or amend it.
24	24	[Copies of the annual budget certified by the chairman of the board
25	25	shall be promptly filed with the governor and the legislature. The
26	26	annual budget is not effective until it is filed.] If for any
27	27	reason the authority does not adopt an annual budget before
28	28	September 2, no expenditures may be made from the funds until the
29	29	board approves the annual budget. The authority may adopt an
30	30	amended annual budget for the current fiscal year[, but the amended
31	31	annual budget may not supersede a prior budget until it is filed
32	32	with the governor and the legislature].
33	33	(c) The authority shall have an audit of its books and
34	34	accounts for each fiscal year by a certified public accountant. The
35	35	cost of the audit is an expense of the authority. [A copy of the
36	36	audit shall be filed with the governor and the legislature on or
37	37	before January 1 of each year.]
38	38	(d) On or before January 1 of each year, the authority shall
39	39	prepare a report of its activities for the preceding fiscal year.
40	40	The report must set forth a complete operating and financial
41	41	statement. [The authority shall file copies of the report with the
42	42	governor and the legislature as soon as practicable.]
43	43	SECTION 2. Subsection (a), Section 487.051, Government
44	44	Code, is amended to read as follows:
45	45	(a) The office shall:
46	46	(1) assist rural communities in the key areas of
47	47	economic development, community development, rural health, and
48	48	rural housing;
49	49	(2) serve as a clearinghouse for information and
50	50	resources on all state and federal programs affecting rural
51	51	communities;
52	52	(3) in consultation with rural community leaders,
53	53	locally elected officials, state elected and appointed officials,
54	54	academic and industry experts, and the interagency work group
55	55	created under this chapter, identify and prioritize policy issues
56	56	and concerns affecting rural communities in the state;
57	57	(4) make recommendations to the legislature to address
58	58	the concerns affecting rural communities identified under
59	59	Subdivision (3);
60	60	(5) monitor developments that have a substantial
61	61	effect on rural Texas communities, especially actions of state
62	62	government[, and compile an annual report describing and evaluating
63	63	the condition of rural communities];
64	64	(6) administer the federal community development
65	65	block grant nonentitlement program;
66	66	(7) administer programs supporting rural health care
67	67	as provided by this chapter;
68	68	(8) perform research to determine the most beneficial
69	69	and cost-effective ways to improve the welfare of rural
70	70	communities;
71	71	(9) ensure that the office qualifies as the state's
72	72	office of rural health for the purpose of receiving grants from the
73	73	Office of Rural Health Policy of the United States Department of
74	74	Health and Human Services under 42 U.S.C. Section 254r;
75	75	(10) manage the state's Medicare rural hospital
76	76	flexibility program under 42 U.S.C. Section 1395i-4;
77	77	(11) seek state and federal money available for
78	78	economic development in rural areas for programs under this
79	79	chapter;
80	80	(12) in conjunction with other offices and divisions
81	81	of the Department of Agriculture, regularly cross-train office
82	82	employees with other employees of the Department of Agriculture
83	83	regarding the programs administered and services provided to rural
84	84	communities; and
85	85	(13) work with interested persons to assist volunteer
86	86	fire departments and emergency services districts in rural areas.
87	87	SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 487.804, Government
88	88	Code, is amended to read as follows:
89	89	(b) Not later than January 1 of each even-numbered year, the
90	90	commissioner shall submit to the legislature a report of the
91	91	findings of the advisory council and the activities of the Texas
92	92	Rural Foundation.
93	93	SECTION 4. The following provisions are repealed:
94	94	(1) Section 15.006, Agriculture Code;
95	95	(2) Subsections (e) and (f), Section 102.167,
96	96	Agriculture Code;
97	97	(3) Section 487.056, Government Code; and
98	98	(4) Section 487.653, Government Code.
99	99	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
100	100	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
101	101	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
102	102	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
103	103	Act takes effect September 1, 2013.