| 1 | 1 | | By: Thimesch (Senate Sponsor - Kolkhorst) H.B. No. 4644 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2023; |
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| 3 | 3 | | May 5, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Water, |
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| 4 | 4 | | Agriculture & Rural Affairs; May 19, 2023, reported favorably by |
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| 5 | 5 | | the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2023, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | COMMITTEE VOTE |
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| 10 | 10 | | YeaNayAbsentPNV |
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| 11 | 11 | | PerryX |
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| 12 | 12 | | HancockX |
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| 13 | 13 | | BlancoX |
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| 14 | 14 | | FloresX |
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| 15 | 15 | | GutierrezX |
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| 16 | 16 | | JohnsonX |
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| 17 | 17 | | KolkhorstX |
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| 18 | 18 | | SparksX |
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| 19 | 19 | | SpringerX |
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| 20 | 20 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 21 | 21 | | AN ACT |
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| 22 | 22 | | relating to an alert system for dangerous plant and wildlife pests |
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| 23 | 23 | | and diseases administered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension |
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| 24 | 24 | | Service. |
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| 25 | 25 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter K, Chapter 88, Education Code, is |
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| 27 | 27 | | amended by adding Section 88.823 to read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | Sec. 88.823. PEST, DISEASE, AND QUARANTINE ALERT SYSTEM. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (a) With the cooperation of the Department of Agriculture, the |
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| 30 | 30 | | Texas Animal Health Commission, and the Parks and Wildlife |
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| 31 | 31 | | Department, the extension service shall develop and implement a |
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| 32 | 32 | | statewide Internet-based alert system for notifications related to |
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| 33 | 33 | | wildlife and plant pests, diseases, and quarantines. The alert |
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| 34 | 34 | | system must issue notifications for: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) a confirmed case of a dangerous plant or wildlife |
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| 36 | 36 | | pest or disease; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) the establishment, modification, or removal of a |
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| 38 | 38 | | pest or disease quarantine order; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) any compliance agreements entered into with the |
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| 40 | 40 | | Department of Agriculture related to a pest or disease quarantine. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b) The alert system established under this section must: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) issue notifications through e-mail; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) provide for enrollment in the alert system for |
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| 44 | 44 | | delivery of a system notification. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (c) The extension service shall enter into a memorandum of |
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| 46 | 46 | | understanding with the Department of Agriculture, the Texas Animal |
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| 47 | 47 | | Health Commission, and the Parks and Wildlife Department to ensure |
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| 48 | 48 | | the extension service is able to issue a required notification |
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| 49 | 49 | | under Subsection (a) within 72 hours of an applicable action by |
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| 50 | 50 | | those agencies. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 52 | 52 | | * * * * * |
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