Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HCR65 Compare Versions

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1		-	By: Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.C.R. No. 65
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2015;
3		-	May 7, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
4		-	Administration; May 13, 2015, reported favorably by the following
5		-	vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 13, 2015, sent to printer.)
6		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	H.C.R. No. 65
7	2
8	3
9	4		HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
10	5		WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally designated a
11	6		variety of official state symbols that embody the proud spirit and
12	7		rich heritage of our state; and
13	8		WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the Guadalupe bass, and the
14	9		mockingbird serve to represent the great diversity of the flora and
15	10		fauna of Texas, while the state dish, chili, aptly evokes our shared
16	11		culinary culture; and
17	12		WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of the
18	13		western honey bee as the official state pollinator of Texas
19	14		constitutes an appropriate recognition of the importance of this
20	15		highly productive species found in the state; and
21	16		WHEREAS, Known to scientists as Apis mellifera, the western
22	17		honey bee is the most widely domesticated of the several honey bee
23	18		species that exist in the world and is a familiar sight in Texas,
24	19		where its distinctive black-and-yellow abdomen and its zigzagging
25	20		flight from flower to flower make the insect instantly
26	21		recognizable; referred to simply as the honey bee, it is renowned
27	22		for its ability to make its signature sweetener and, along with
28	23		other members of its genus, is the only insect that produces a food
29	24		eaten by humankind; and
30	25		WHEREAS, Even more significant than the production of honey,
31	26		however, is the honey bee's essential role in the pollination of
32	27		crops; this industrious insect enables the production of at least
33	28		90 commercially grown crops in North America, including 75 percent
34	29		of all fruits, nuts, and vegetables, contributing more than $15
35	30		billion to the nation's economy every year; pollination by the
36	31		honey bee accounts for approximately 80 percent of all insect
37	32		pollination, far exceeding that of butterflies, beetles, and wasps;
38	33		and
39	34		WHEREAS, The honey bee is critical to the agriculture and
40	35		commerce of this state, where the economic impact of the food and
41	36		fiber sector totals more than $100 billion annually; to take but one
42	37		example, the bee helps Texas farmers to produce more cotton than
43	38		farmers anywhere else in the country; cash receipts from Texas
44	39		cotton in 2012 alone amounted to $2.2 billion; and
45	40		WHEREAS, In recognition of this insect's importance, the City
46	41		of Austin passed a resolution forbidding the destruction of feral
47	42		bees within its city limits, instead allowing colonies to be
48	43		sustainably relocated by Central Texas Bee Rescue; and
49	44		WHEREAS, A creature as beautiful and memorable as the Texas
50	45		sky, the western honey bee works each day to preserve the balance of
51	46		nature, allowing our crops to flourish, the agriculture of Texas to
52	47		thrive, and our economy to grow, and its unique relationship to the
53	48		welfare of this land makes it a truly fitting symbol for the
54	49		majestic spirit of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
55	50		RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
56	51		hereby designate the western honey bee as the official state
57	52		pollinator of Texas.
58		-	* * * * *
	53	+	Naishtat
	54	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	55	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	56	+	I certify that H.C.R. No. 65 was adopted by the House on May
	57	+	5, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 1, 3 present, not
	58	+	voting.
	59	+	______________________________
	60	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	61	+	I certify that H.C.R. No. 65 was adopted by the Senate on May
	62	+	20, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	63	+	______________________________
	64	+	Secretary of the Senate
	65	+	APPROVED: __________________
	66	+	Date
	67	+	__________________
	68	+	Governor