Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1984 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R139 AJZ-D
2	2	By: Miles S.B. No. 1984
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation and funding of the urban farming pilot
8	8	program and the creation of the Select Committee on Urban Farming.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Chapter 50E to read as follows:
12	12	CHAPTER 50E. URBAN FARMING PILOT PROGRAM AND SELECT COMMITTEE
13	13	SUBCHAPTER A. URBAN FARMING PILOT PROGRAM
14	14	Sec. 50E.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "program" means
15	15	the urban farming pilot program established under this chapter.
16	16	Sec. 50E.002. ESTABLISHMENT OF URBAN FARMING PILOT PROGRAM.
17	17	(a) The department by rule shall develop and implement an urban
18	18	farming pilot program through which the department will award
19	19	grants if funding for grants is available to urban farmers in this
20	20	state to establish new urban farms and expand existing urban farms.
21	21	(b) The department by rule shall define "urban farm" and
22	22	"urban farmer" for purposes of this chapter.
23	23	(c) The department may operate the program in an area
24	24	designated as an enterprise zone under Chapter 2303, Government
25	25	Code, in a municipality with a population of 500,000 or more.
26	26	Sec. 50E.003. USE OF AWARDED GRANT MONEY. A grant recipient
27	27	may use grant money awarded under the program only to cover costs
28	28	that are approved by the department.
29	29	Sec. 50E.004. GRANT RECIPIENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. A
30	30	grant recipient shall report information related to the program to
31	31	the department in the form and manner and at regular intervals as
32	32	prescribed by the department.
33	33	Sec. 50E.005. EVALUATION BY DEPARTMENT. The department
34	34	shall monitor and periodically evaluate:
35	35	(1) the performance of each grant recipient under the
36	36	program;
37	37	(2) how each grant recipient uses the grant money
38	38	awarded under the program; and
39	39	(3) the effect of the program on the grant recipient
40	40	and on the residents of the municipality in which the grant
41	41	recipient uses grant money.
42	42	Sec. 50E.006. GRANTS AND DONATIONS. The department may
43	43	seek, accept, and spend any funds received through grants or
44	44	donations from public or private sources for the purposes of the
45	45	program.
46	46	SUBCHAPTER B. SELECT COMMITTEE ON URBAN FARMING
47	47	Sec. 50E.011. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "committee"
48	48	means the Select Committee on Urban Farming.
49	49	Sec. 50E.012. COMPOSITION. (a) The Select Committee on
50	50	Urban Farming is composed of:
51	51	(1) three members appointed by the president of
52	52	Prairie View A&M University;
53	53	(2) three members appointed by the board of regents of
54	54	The Texas A&M University System; and
55	55	(3) three members appointed by the director of the
56	56	Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
57	57	(b) The committee shall elect a presiding officer from among
58	58	its members.
59	59	Sec. 50E.013. COMPENSATION. A person is not entitled to
60	60	compensation or reimbursement for serving as a committee member.
61	61	Sec. 50E.014. COMMITTEE DUTIES. (a) The committee shall:
62	62	(1) meet at the call of the presiding officer; and
63	63	(2) conduct an interim study and make recommendations
64	64	to the legislature regarding:
65	65	(A) the performance and operation of the program;
66	66	(B) the continuation, elimination, or expansion
67	67	of the program;
68	68	(C) urban farming trends, including farming in
69	69	sustainable living communities, cooperative crop production, and
70	70	vertical integration farming;
71	71	(D) capacity for urban farming in this state; and
72	72	(E) potential effects of urban farming on the
73	73	population of this state and on enterprise zones.
74	74	(b) The committee may request the assistance of state
75	75	agencies, departments, or offices to carry out its duties.
76	76	Sec. 50E.015. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2018, the
77	77	committee shall submit a report based on its findings to:
78	78	(1) the governor;
79	79	(2) the lieutenant governor; and
80	80	(3) the speaker of the house of representatives.
81	81	SUBCHAPTER C. EXPIRATION OF CHAPTER
82	82	Sec. 50E.021. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires and the
83	83	committee is abolished September 1, 2019.
84	84	SECTION 2. (a) Not later than January 1, 2018, the
85	85	Department of Agriculture shall implement the urban farming pilot
86	86	program established under Chapter 50E, Agriculture Code, as added
87	87	by this Act.
88	88	(b) Not later than October 1, 2017, the appointing entities
89	89	listed in Section 50E.012, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act,
90	90	shall make the appointments required by that section.
91	91	(c) Not later than October 15, 2017, the commissioner of
92	92	agriculture shall call the first meeting of the Select Committee on
93	93	Urban Farming to permit the committee to elect a presiding officer
94	94	as required by Section 50E.012(b), Agriculture Code, as added by
95	95	this Act.
96	96	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.