H.B. No. 2155
AN ACT
relating to a grant program to reduce wait times for agricultural
inspections of vehicles at ports of entry along the Texas-Mexico
border.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by
adding Section 12.050 to read as follows:
Sec. 12.050. TRADE AGRICULTURAL INSPECTION GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Using money appropriated for this purpose or money received
under Subsection (g), the department may make a grant to a nonprofit
organization for the purpose of promoting the agricultural
processing industry in this state by reducing wait times for
agricultural inspections of vehicles at ports of entry along the
border with the United Mexican States.
(b) The department shall request proposals for the award of
a grant under this section. The department shall evaluate the
proposals and award a grant based on the proposed program's
quantifiable effectiveness and the potentially positive impact on
the agricultural processing industry in this state.
(c) A grant awarded under this section must be made to an
organization that has demonstrated experience working with border
inspection authorities to reduce border crossing wait times.
(d) A grant recipient may use grant money received under
this section only to pay for activities directly related to the
purpose of the grant program as described by Subsection (a). A
grant recipient may use grant money to reimburse a federal
governmental agency that, at the request of the grant recipient,
provides additional border agricultural inspectors or pays
overtime to border agricultural inspectors at ports of entry along
the border with the United Mexican States.
(e) The department shall establish procedures to administer
the grant program, including a procedure for the submission of a
proposal and a procedure to be used by the department to evaluate a
proposal.
(f) The department shall enter into a contract that includes
performance requirements with each grant recipient. The department
shall monitor and enforce the terms of the contract. The contract
must authorize the department to recoup grant money from a grant
recipient for failure of the grant recipient to comply with the
terms of the contract.
(g) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
donations from any source for the purpose of awarding grants under
this section.
(h) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
nonprofit organization must provide matching funds. The department
may not award a grant to a nonprofit organization until the
department certifies that the nonprofit organization has the
matching funds. The amount of the grant may not exceed the amount
of matching funds. The department may not require a nonprofit
organization to provide matching funds in an amount that exceeds
the amount of the grant.
(i) The total amount of grants awarded under this section
may not exceed $725,000 for the duration of the program.
(j) The department may adopt any rules necessary to
implement this section.
(k) Not later than January 15, 2021, the department shall
evaluate the performance of the program under this section and
submit a report to the legislature. The report must include an
evaluation of agricultural inspections affected by the program,
including the extent to which the program is reducing wait times for
agricultural inspections of vehicles at ports of entry along the
border with the United Mexican States.
(l) Unless continued in existence by the legislature, this
section expires September 1, 2021.
SECTION 2. The Department of Agriculture is required to
implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature
appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the
legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that
purpose, the department may, but is not required to, implement a
provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that
purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2155 was passed by the House on May 9,
2019, by the following vote: Yeas 95, Nays 39, 4 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 2155 on May 24, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 107, Nays 35,
2 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2155 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 21, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays
12.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor