Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1424 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	S.B. No. 1424
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to the continuation and functions of the State Soil and
6	6	Water Conservation Board and the Texas Invasive Species
7	7	Coordinating Committee.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 201.0142, Agriculture Code, is amended
10	10	by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
11	11	follows:
12	12	(b) The training program must provide the person with
13	13	information regarding:
14	14	(1) the law governing [legislation that created the]
15	15	state board operations;
16	16	(2) the programs, functions, rules, and budget of
17	17	[operated by] the state board;
18	18	(3) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking
19	19	authority [role and functions] of the state board;
20	20	(4) [the rules of the state board, with an emphasis on
21	21	the rules that relate to disciplinary and investigatory authority;
22	22	[(5) the current budget for the state board;
23	23	[(6)] the results of the most recent formal audit of
24	24	the state board;
25	25	(5) [(7)] the requirements of:
26	26	(A) laws relating to [the] open meetings, [law,
27	27	Chapter 551, Government Code;
28	28	[(B) the] public information, [law, Chapter 552,
29	29	Government Code;
30	30	[(C) the] administrative procedure, and
31	31	disclosing conflicts of interest [law, Chapter 2001, Government
32	32	Code]; and
33	33	(B) [(D)] other laws applicable to members of a
34	34	state policy-making body in performing their duties [relating to
35	35	public officials, including conflict-of-interest laws]; and
36	36	(6) [(8)] any applicable ethics policies adopted by
37	37	the state board or the Texas Ethics Commission.
38	38	(d) The executive director shall create a training manual
39	39	that includes the information required by Subsection (b). The
40	40	executive director shall distribute a copy of the training manual
41	41	annually to each member of the state board. Each member of the
42	42	state board shall sign and submit to the executive director a
43	43	statement acknowledging that the member received and has reviewed
44	44	the training manual.
45	45	SECTION 2. Section 201.019(i), Agriculture Code, is amended
46	46	to read as follows:
47	47	(i) The state board [agency] shall develop and implement
48	48	policies that [which] clearly separate the policy-making
49	49	[respective] responsibilities of the state board and the management
50	50	responsibilities of the executive director and the staff of the
51	51	state board.
52	52	SECTION 3. Sections 201.0231(a) and (c), Agriculture Code,
53	53	are amended to read as follows:
54	54	(a) The state board shall maintain a [central database of
55	55	complaints filed with state board offices and a] system to promptly
56	56	and efficiently act on complaints [a complaint] filed with the [a]
57	57	state board [office]. The state board shall maintain information
58	58	about parties to the complaint, the subject matter of the
59	59	complaint, a summary of the results of the review or investigation
60	60	of the complaint, and its disposition.
61	61	(c) The state board shall periodically notify the complaint
62	62	parties [to the complaint] of the status of the complaint until
63	63	final disposition unless the notice would jeopardize an
64	64	investigation.
65	65	SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 201, Agriculture Code, is
66	66	amended by adding Section 201.0226 to read as follows:
67	67	Sec. 201.0226. DAM STRUCTURAL REPAIR GRANT PROGRAM. (a)
68	68	The state board shall develop and implement a program to provide
69	69	grants for the structural repair and maintenance of flood control
70	70	dams.
71	71	(b) With input from stakeholders, the state board shall:
72	72	(1) establish goals, criteria, and metrics for the
73	73	grant program; and
74	74	(2) assess the need for funding the structural repair
75	75	and maintenance of flood control dams throughout this state,
76	76	including the number of projects a grant sponsor can complete each
77	77	year.
78	78	(c) In adopting rules or policies for the grant program, the
79	79	state board shall:
80	80	(1) ensure any local matching fund requirement adopted
81	81	by the state board accounts for the financial capacity of the grant
82	82	sponsor; and
83	83	(2) consider dams that are classified as high-hazard
84	84	by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
85	85	(d) The state board shall ensure guidance documents for the
86	86	grant program, including the 10-year dam repair, rehabilitation,
87	87	and maintenance plan adopted under Section 201.0227, are consistent
88	88	with the goals, criteria, and metrics established under Subsection
89	89	(b).
90	90	SECTION 5. Section 201.0227, Agriculture Code, is amended
91	91	by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
92	92	(f) The state board shall consider the timelines for grant
93	93	applications for the dam structural repair grant program under
94	94	Section 201.0226 when preparing and adopting a plan under this
95	95	section.
96	96	SECTION 6. Section 201.025, Agriculture Code, is amended to
97	97	read as follows:
98	98	Sec. 201.025. SUNSET PROVISION. The State Soil and Water
99	99	Conservation Board is subject to Chapter 325, Government Code
100	100	(Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued in existence as provided by
101	101	that chapter, the state board is abolished [and this chapter
102	102	expires] September 1, 2035 [2023].
103	103	SECTION 7. Section 776.004, Government Code, is amended by
104	104	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
105	105	follows:
106	106	(a) The committee shall:
107	107	(1) [serve as a catalyst for cooperation between state
108	108	agencies in the area of invasive species control;
109	109	[(2) facilitate governmental efforts, including
110	110	efforts of local governments and special districts, to prevent and
111	111	manage invasive species;
112	112	[(3) make recommendations to state agencies regarding
113	113	research, technology transfer, and management actions related to
114	114	invasive species control;
115	115	[(4)] facilitate the exchange of information so that
116	116	each member agency is informed of committee plans, recommendations,
117	117	and proposals for research, education, and implementation of
118	118	activities to:
119	119	(A) prevent, detect, assess, monitor, contain,
120	120	and control or eradicate invasive species; and
121	121	(B) reduce environmental and economic threats
122	122	and threats to human health from invasive species; and
123	123	(2) [(5)] provide a forum for developing coordinated
124	124	interagency strategies and policies for invasive species control[;
125	125	[(6) provide technical information and input to
126	126	regional and national invasive species control coordination
127	127	efforts, including the National Invasive Species Management Plan;
128	128	[(7) facilitate the review of committee technical
129	129	decisions and work product by specialists and interested persons;
130	130	and
131	131	[(8) report as needed to the governor, lieutenant
132	132	governor, and speaker of the house of representatives on committee
133	133	plans, work product, and accomplishments].
134	134	(a-1) The committee may:
135	135	(1) serve as a catalyst for cooperation between state
136	136	agencies in the area of invasive species control;
137	137	(2) facilitate governmental efforts, including
138	138	efforts of local governments and special districts, to prevent and
139	139	manage invasive species;
140	140	(3) make recommendations to state agencies regarding
141	141	research, technology transfer, and management actions related to
142	142	invasive species control;
143	143	(4) provide technical information and input to
144	144	regional and national invasive species control coordination
145	145	efforts, including the National Invasive Species Management Plan;
146	146	(5) facilitate the review of committee technical
147	147	decisions and work product by specialists and interested persons;
148	148	and
149	149	(6) report as needed to the governor, lieutenant
150	150	governor, and speaker of the house of representatives on committee
151	151	plans, work product, and accomplishments.
152	152	SECTION 8. Chapter 776, Government Code, is amended by
153	153	adding Section 776.0051 to read as follows:
154	154	Sec. 776.0051. MEETINGS. (a) The committee shall meet at
155	155	least annually at the call of the committee chair or the State Soil
156	156	and Water Conservation Board's representative on the committee.
157	157	(b) The State Soil and Water Conservation Board shall ensure
158	158	the committee meets at least annually.
159	159	SECTION 9. Section 776.007, Government Code, is amended by
160	160	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
161	161	follows:
162	162	(a) The committee is subject to Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset
163	163	Act). [Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter,
164	164	the committee is abolished and this chapter expires September 1,
165	165	2023.]
166	166	(c) The committee shall be reviewed during each period in
167	167	which the State Soil and Water Conservation Board is reviewed.
168	168	SECTION 10. Section 776.006(b), Government Code, is
169	169	repealed.
170	170	SECTION 11. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
171	171	this section, Section 201.0142, Agriculture Code, as amended by
172	172	this Act, applies to a member of the State Soil and Water
173	173	Conservation Board appointed before, on, or after the effective
174	174	date of this Act.
175	175	(b) A member of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board
176	176	who, before the effective date of this Act, completed the training
177	177	program required by Section 201.0142, Agriculture Code, as that law
178	178	existed before the effective date of this Act, is only required to
179	179	complete additional training on the subjects added by this Act to
180	180	the training program required by Section 201.0142, Agriculture
181	181	Code. A member described by this subsection may not vote,
182	182	deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of
183	183	the State Soil and Water Conservation Board held on or after
184	184	December 1, 2023, until the member completes the additional
185	185	training.
186	186	SECTION 12. (a) For purposes of Section 201.025,
187	187	Agriculture Code, as amended by this Act, the Sunset Advisory
188	188	Commission shall conduct a limited-scope review of the State Soil
189	189	and Water Conservation Board for the 90th Legislature.
190	190	(b) In conducting the limited-scope review under this
191	191	section, the Sunset Advisory Commission staff evaluation and report
192	192	must be limited to reviewing the State Soil and Water Conservation
193	193	Board's dam structural repair grant program.
194	194	(c) The Sunset Advisory Commission's recommendations to the
195	195	90th Legislature may include any recommendation the commission
196	196	considers appropriate based on the limited-scope review conducted
197	197	under this section.
198	198	SECTION 13. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
199	199	______________________________ ______________________________
200	200	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
201	201	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1424 passed the Senate on
202	202	April 11, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
203	203	______________________________
204	204	Secretary of the Senate
205	205	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1424 passed the House on
206	206	May 17, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 3,
207	207	one present not voting.
208	208	______________________________
209	209	Chief Clerk of the House
210	210	Approved:
211	211	______________________________
212	212	Date
213	213	______________________________
214	214	Governor