| 1 | 1 | | 84R9919 AJZ-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: King of Uvalde H.B. No. 2120 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to changing the name of the Department of Agriculture. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Effective January 1, 2016, Sections 1.003(1) and |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | (2), Agriculture Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | agriculture and consumer protection. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | (2) "Department" means the Department of Agriculture |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | and Consumer Protection. |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Effective January 1, 2016, Chapter 1, |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Agriculture Code, is amended by adding Section 1.004 to read as |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | follows: |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 1.004. COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | PROTECTION; DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION. (a) |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | The commissioner of agriculture is renamed the commissioner of |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | agriculture and consumer protection. The Department of Agriculture |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | is renamed the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection. |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (b) A reference in law to the commissioner of agriculture |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | means the commissioner of agriculture and consumer protection. |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (c) A reference in law to the Department of Agriculture |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection. |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 3. (a) Effective January 1, 2016: |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (1) all powers, duties, rights, and obligations of the |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | commissioner of agriculture and the Department of Agriculture are |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | the powers, duties, rights, and obligations of the commissioner of |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | agriculture and consumer protection or the Department of |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Agriculture and Consumer Protection, as applicable; and |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (2) any appropriation to the Department of Agriculture |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | is an appropriation to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | Protection. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (b) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | is the successor to the Department of Agriculture in all respects. |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | All personnel, equipment, data, documents, facilities, contracts, |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | items, other property, rules, decisions, and proceedings of or |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | involving the Department of Agriculture are unaffected by the |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | change in the name of the agency. |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (c) The Department of Agriculture shall adopt a timetable |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | for phasing in the change of the agency's name so as to minimize the |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | fiscal impact of the name change. Until January 1, 2016, to allow |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | for phasing in the change of the agency's name and in accordance |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | with the timetable established as required by this section, the |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | commissioner of agriculture or the Department of Agriculture may |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | perform any act authorized by law for the commissioner or the |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | department as the commissioner of agriculture or the Department of |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | Agriculture or as the commissioner of agriculture and consumer |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | protection or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | Protection, as appropriate. Any act of the commissioner of |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | agriculture or the Department of Agriculture acting as the |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | commissioner of agriculture and consumer protection or the |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection on or after the |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | effective date of this section and before January 1, 2016, is an act |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | of the commissioner of agriculture or the Department of |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | Agriculture, as appropriate. |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | September 1, 2015, except as otherwise provided by this Act. |
|---|