| 1 | 1 | | 89R4225 MP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 1269 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the plant disease and pest prevention grant program. |
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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 71, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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| 12 | 12 | | adding Subchapter Z to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER Z. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 71.901. PLANT DISEASE AND PEST PREVENTION GRANT |
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| 15 | 15 | | PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "extension service" means the Texas |
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| 16 | 16 | | A&M AgriLife Extension Service. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The extension service shall establish and administer |
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| 18 | 18 | | the plant disease and pest prevention grant program. Grants |
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| 19 | 19 | | awarded under this section may be used only by the recipient for the |
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| 20 | 20 | | study of plant disease and pest prevention. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an |
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| 22 | 22 | | applicant must: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) be associated with an institution of higher |
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| 24 | 24 | | education located in this state; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) provide letters of support from: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) the associated institution of higher |
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| 27 | 27 | | education; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) a representative of the community in which |
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| 29 | 29 | | the research will be conducted; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (C) a state elected official who represents the |
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| 31 | 31 | | community in which the research will be conducted. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (d) The extension service shall: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) establish a selection committee and process to |
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| 34 | 34 | | award grants to eligible applicants whose research proposals have |
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| 35 | 35 | | the most potential benefit to this state; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) award no more than 20 grants per year; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (3) encourage participation from across this state and |
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| 38 | 38 | | consider regional diversity when awarding grants; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (4) award grants and distribute funds not later than |
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| 40 | 40 | | September 1 of each year. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) The extension service may not limit the number of |
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| 42 | 42 | | researchers who are associated with a grant. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (f) The plant disease and pest prevention fund is an account |
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| 44 | 44 | | in the general revenue fund administered by the extension service. |
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| 45 | 45 | | Money in the account may be used only by the extension service to |
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| 46 | 46 | | award grants under this section. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (g) The plant disease and pest prevention fund consists of: |
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| 48 | 48 | | (1) gifts, grants, including federal grants, and other |
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| 49 | 49 | | donations received for the fund; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (2) interest earned on the investment of money in the |
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| 51 | 51 | | fund; and |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) any money appropriated to the fund by the |
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| 53 | 53 | | legislature. |
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| 54 | 54 | | (h) The department may accept gifts, grants, or donations |
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| 55 | 55 | | from any source that are made for the purposes of this section. |
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| 56 | 56 | | Money received under this subsection shall be deposited in the |
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| 57 | 57 | | plant disease and pest prevention fund. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 59 | 59 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 60 | 60 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 61 | 61 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 62 | 62 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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