85R26278 TSR-D
By: Farrar H.B. No. 2600
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2600:
By: González of El Paso C.S.H.B. No. 2600
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of the Bee Pollinator Goals Task
Force to develop and report on statewide pollinator goals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 131, Agriculture Code, is
amended by adding Section 131.011 to read as follows:
Sec. 131.011. BEE POLLINATOR GOALS TASK FORCE. (a) The Bee
Pollinator Goals Task Force is established to develop statewide bee
pollinator goals and metrics and report on the state's progress
toward those goals and metrics on a biennial basis.
(b) The task force consists of members appointed by the
governor who have relevant experience in agriculture,
conservation, education, or local government from the following
state agencies:
(1) the department;
(2) the Texas Animal Health Commission;
(3) the Texas Education Agency;
(4) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;
(5) the Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service;
(6) the Office of the Texas State Chemist;
(7) the Department of State Health Services;
(8) the General Land Office;
(9) the Parks and Wildlife Department;
(10) the Railroad Commission of Texas;
(11) Texas A&M AgriLife Research; and
(12) the Texas Apiary Inspection Service.
(c) The governor shall designate a member who represents the
department to be the chair of the task force. Members serve at the
pleasure of the governor.
(d) State agencies with members on the task force shall
provide administrative support for the task force.
(e) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
the task force shall submit a report to the members of the
legislature on the factors contributing to the decline of the bee
population in this state, including habitat loss, pesticides,
diseases, and parasites, and recommend feasible initiatives that,
when implemented, will stop the spread of bee-related diseases,
sustain this state's bee population, and contribute toward reaching
the goals and metrics developed by the task force.
(f) The report under Subsection (e) must include:
(1) recommendations for:
(A) the research needs of this state in the field
of bee pollination;
(B) the establishment of statewide pollination
policies; and
(C) state funding to reduce the significant loss
of bee pollinators in this state to help achieve statewide
pollinator goals; and
(2) information on:
(A) interagency collaboration on pollinator
protection efforts and methods to improve coordination of the
policies and programs of member state agencies to maximize the
benefits from those efforts;
(B) ways to raise public awareness of pollinator
issues; and
(C) the effectiveness of state agency pollinator
programs, reports, and recommendations.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the governor shall make the appointments to the Bee
Pollinator Goals Task Force as described by Section 131.011,
Agriculture Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.