| 1 | 1 | | 87R9073 MP-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Wilson H.B. No. 2619 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation and administration of the On-The-Ground |
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| 8 | 8 | | Conservation Program by the State Soil and Water Conservation |
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| 9 | 9 | | Board. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 201, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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| 12 | 12 | | adding Subchapter J to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER J. ON-THE-GROUND CONSERVATION PROGRAM |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 201.351. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) "Priority conservation measure" means a priority |
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| 16 | 16 | | soil and water conservation land improvement measure designated |
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| 17 | 17 | | under Section 201.355. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) "Program" means the On-The-Ground Conservation |
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| 19 | 19 | | Program. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) "Soil health characteristics" means the physical, |
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| 21 | 21 | | chemical, and biological characteristics of soil for optimal |
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| 22 | 22 | | production, including lower bulk density, good gas exchange, lower |
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| 23 | 23 | | surface temperature during growing season, high cation exchange |
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| 24 | 24 | | capacity, high soil organic matter, and active soil |
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| 25 | 25 | | microorganisms. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 201.352. CREATION OF PROGRAM. The state board shall |
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| 27 | 27 | | develop and administer the program to maximize public benefits by |
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| 28 | 28 | | facilitating priority conservation measures and other soil and |
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| 29 | 29 | | water conservation land improvement measures by landowners and |
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| 30 | 30 | | operators in this state. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 201.353. PROGRAM FUNCTIONS. (a) The state board shall |
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| 32 | 32 | | provide through the program: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) technical assistance; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) cost-share assistance; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (3) direct grants; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (4) help in obtaining technical assistance, |
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| 37 | 37 | | cost-share assistance, and direct grants from other public or |
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| 38 | 38 | | private sources. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) The state board shall create rules, forms, and |
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| 40 | 40 | | procedures necessary for the administration of the program. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) The state board may: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) obtain grants, cost-sharing assistance, or other |
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| 43 | 43 | | forms of funding from other state or federal governmental entities; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) coordinate, receive, and use gifts, grants, and |
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| 45 | 45 | | donations from private sources; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (3) work with qualified nonprofit organizations and |
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| 47 | 47 | | universities to provide technical assistance; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (4) designate one or more conservation districts to |
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| 49 | 49 | | administer the program locally. |
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| 50 | 50 | | Sec. 201.354. PROGRAM COST-SHARE RATES. The state board |
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| 51 | 51 | | shall establish cost-share rates for eligible soil and water |
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| 52 | 52 | | conservation land improvement measures under the program. |
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| 53 | 53 | | Sec. 201.355. PRIORITY CONSERVATION MEASURES. (a) The |
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| 54 | 54 | | board shall designate and give priority under the program to |
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| 55 | 55 | | priority conservation measures that maximize public benefits to the |
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| 56 | 56 | | state. Priority conservation measures include measures that: |
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| 57 | 57 | | (1) improve soil health characteristics; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) conserve and manage water resources; |
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| 59 | 59 | | (3) prevent and manage flooding; |
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| 60 | 60 | | (4) control invasive and nuisance species; |
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| 61 | 61 | | (5) improve resilience to weather extremes, climate |
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| 62 | 62 | | variability, and natural disasters; |
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| 63 | 63 | | (6) protect and enhance native habitats, including the |
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| 64 | 64 | | protection of endangered species; |
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| 65 | 65 | | (7) mitigate and reduce soil erosion; |
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| 66 | 66 | | (8) restore land damaged by development; and |
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| 67 | 67 | | (9) sequester carbon to provide environmental |
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| 68 | 68 | | benefits. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (b) The state board: |
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| 70 | 70 | | (1) shall establish standards and specifications for |
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| 71 | 71 | | each priority conservation measure designated under this section; |
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| 72 | 72 | | and |
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| 73 | 73 | | (2) may consider local priorities and needs in |
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| 74 | 74 | | designating a priority conservation measure under this section. |
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| 75 | 75 | | Sec. 201.356. REPORT. The state board shall include |
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| 76 | 76 | | information regarding the program's activities in the annual report |
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| 77 | 77 | | required by Section 201.028. |
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| 78 | 78 | | SECTION 2. The State Soil and Water Conservation Board is |
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| 79 | 79 | | required to create and implement the On-The-Ground Conservation |
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| 80 | 80 | | Program as provided by this Act only if the legislature |
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| 81 | 81 | | appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the |
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| 82 | 82 | | legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that |
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| 83 | 83 | | purpose, the State Soil and Water Conservation Board may, but is not |
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| 84 | 84 | | required to, create and implement the On-The-Ground Conservation |
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| 85 | 85 | | Program as provided by this Act using other appropriations |
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| 86 | 86 | | available for that purpose. |
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| 87 | 87 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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