Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3983 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R25479 BEF-D
2	2	By: González H.B. No. 3983
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3983:
4	4	By: King of Uvalde C.S.H.B. No. 3983
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the Global Agricultural Innovation Institute program
10	10	administered by the Department of Agriculture.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
13	13	Chapter 50E to read as follows:
14	14	CHAPTER 50E. GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION INSTITUTE
15	15	SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
16	16	Sec. 50E.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
17	17	(1) "Board" means the Global Agricultural Innovation
18	18	Institute Board.
19	19	(2) "Program" means the Global Agricultural
20	20	Innovation Institute program.
21	21	Sec. 50E.002. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER AND
22	22	DEPARTMENT. (a) The department shall administer this chapter and
23	23	may adopt rules necessary to implement this chapter.
24	24	(b) The commissioner may appoint or employ consultants or
25	25	other agents as necessary for the business of the program.
26	26	(c) The department may contract with any state institution
27	27	of higher education, state agency, domestic or foreign person, or
28	28	federal agency to perform services or provide facilities for the
29	29	board.
30	30	Sec. 50E.003. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. Notwithstanding any
31	31	other provision of this chapter, the department is not required to
32	32	grant awards or otherwise implement this chapter and the
33	33	commissioner is not required to appoint board members unless the
34	34	department accepts a gift, grant, or donation of money or real or
35	35	personal property for the purpose of implementing this chapter.
36	36	SUBCHAPTER B. GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION INSTITUTE PROGRAM
37	37	Sec. 50E.051. PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. The department may
38	38	establish the program to enhance and create developing
39	39	technologies, recruit businesses to this state, develop businesses
40	40	in this state, and enhance and create markets to advance and promote
41	41	the sale of Texas agricultural products and services worldwide.
42	42	Sec. 50E.052. AWARDS. The department may award grants of
43	43	money from the Global Agricultural Innovation Institute account and
44	44	real or personal property held outside the account to further the
45	45	purposes of the program. The use of the award is restricted by the
46	46	terms of the award. The department may use only money or property
47	47	received under Section 50E.054 to grant an award under this
48	48	chapter.
49	49	Sec. 50E.053. PROGRAM ACCOUNT. (a) The Global
50	50	Agricultural Innovation Institute account is an account in the
51	51	general revenue fund. The account is composed of:
52	52	(1) gifts, grants, and donations of money received
53	53	under Section 50E.054; and
54	54	(2) other money required by law to be deposited in the
55	55	account.
56	56	(b) Money in the account may be appropriated only to the
57	57	department for the purpose of the program.
58	58	(c) Income from money in the account shall be credited to
59	59	the account.
60	60	(d) The account is exempt from the application of Section
61	61	403.095, Government Code.
62	62	Sec. 50E.054. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The board and
63	63	the department may solicit, accept, and use gifts, grants, and
64	64	donations of money or real or personal property from public and
65	65	private sources for the purposes of this chapter, subject only to
66	66	limitations contained in the gifts, grants, or donations.
67	67	SUBCHAPTER C. GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION INSTITUTE BOARD
68	68	Sec. 50E.101. MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS. (a) The board is
69	69	composed of:
70	70	(1) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee;
71	71	(2) one representative of each of the following,
72	72	appointed by the commissioner:
73	73	(A) The Texas A&M University System;
74	74	(B) The University of Texas System;
75	75	(C) the Texas Tech University System;
76	76	(D) the Texas State University System;
77	77	(E) the University of Houston System;
78	78	(F) the University of North Texas System;
79	79	(G) independent institutions of higher education
80	80	in this state;
81	81	(H) private institutions of higher education in
82	82	this state;
83	83	(I) the agriculture marketing industry;
84	84	(J) international agricultural financing
85	85	businesses;
86	86	(K) the livestock industry in this state;
87	87	(L) the crop production industry in this state;
88	88	(M) international trade;
89	89	(N) the horticultural industry in this state; and
90	90	(O) humanitarian interests; and
91	91	(3) at least four additional at-large members
92	92	appointed by the commissioner who represent diverse sectors of the
93	93	agricultural industry.
94	94	(b) Members appointed under Subsections (a)(2) and (3)
95	95	serve staggered six-year terms, with as near as possible to
96	96	one-third of the members' terms expiring on February 1 of each
97	97	odd-numbered year.
98	98	(c) The board members shall nominate and elect a board
99	99	member as chair. The chair serves a one-year term. A person who has
100	100	served as chair for three consecutive terms is not eligible for
101	101	reelection as chair until the third anniversary of the date the
102	102	person last served as chair.
103	103	(d) Membership on the board by a state officer or employee
104	104	is an additional duty of the officer's or employee's employment.
105	105	(e) A board member is not a state officer for purposes of
106	106	Section 572.021, Government Code, solely because of the member's
107	107	service on the board. Board members otherwise required to comply
108	108	with Section 572.021, Government Code, are not exempt from that
109	109	requirement as a result of service on the board.
110	110	Sec. 50E.102. DUTIES OF BOARD. (a) The board shall advise
111	111	the department in the administration of the program.
112	112	(b) The board shall select the recipients of and grant all
113	113	awards, contracts, and partnerships related to the program.
114	114	(c) The board may conduct surveys, research, or
115	115	investigations for the purposes of the program.
116	116	Sec. 50E.103. MEETINGS. (a) The board shall meet at least
117	117	twice each year at the call of the chair.
118	118	(b) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, the board
119	119	may hold an open or closed meeting by telephone conference call if
120	120	immediate action is required and the convening at one location of a
121	121	quorum of the board is inconvenient for any member of the board.
122	122	(c) The meeting held by telephone conference call is subject
123	123	to the notice requirements applicable to other meetings.
124	124	(d) The notice of a meeting held by telephone conference
125	125	call must specify as the location of the meeting the location where
126	126	meetings of the board are usually held.
127	127	(e) Each part of a meeting held by telephone conference call
128	128	that is required to be open to the public shall be audible to the
129	129	public at the location specified in the notice of the meeting as the
130	130	location of the meeting and shall be recorded.
131	131	Sec. 50E.104. COMPENSATION. (a) A member of the board is
132	132	not entitled to compensation for service on the board.
133	133	(b) A member of the board is entitled to reimbursement for
134	134	travel expenses incurred by the member while conducting board
135	135	business.
136	136	Sec. 50E.105. STAFF AND RESOURCES. (a) The commissioner
137	137	shall provide the board with necessary staff and resources to
138	138	perform the board's duties under this chapter, as determined by the
139	139	commissioner during the state fiscal biennium in which the board is
140	140	established and during the next state fiscal biennium.
141	141	(b) The board shall hire through an application and
142	142	interview process a chief executive officer. The board shall
143	143	determine the duties of the chief executive officer.
144	144	(c) After the period described by Subsection (a), the chief
145	145	executive officer shall employ staff necessary to implement the
146	146	program, shall have sole authority to employ and terminate
147	147	employees, and may appoint or employ consultants, professionals, or
148	148	other agents necessary to conduct the business of the program.
149	149	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.