| 1 | 1 | | 89R4226 MP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 1277 |
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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 study of plant disease and pest outbreaks by the |
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| 10 | 10 | | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 71, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | adding Subchapter Z to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SUBCHAPTER Z. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 71.901. REPORT ON DISEASES AND PESTS. (a) In this |
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| 16 | 16 | | section, "extension service" means the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension |
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| 17 | 17 | | Service. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The extension service shall annually conduct a study of |
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| 19 | 19 | | each plant disease or pest outbreak in this state. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) In conducting the study under Subsection (b), the |
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| 21 | 21 | | extension service shall determine for each outbreak of a plant |
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| 22 | 22 | | disease or pest: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) the duration of the outbreak; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) how the outbreak was resolved, if applicable; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) any other information the extension service |
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| 26 | 26 | | determines is relevant. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) Not later than January 1 of each year, the extension |
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| 28 | 28 | | service shall prepare and publish on the extension service's |
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| 29 | 29 | | Internet website a report of the previous year's study conducted |
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| 30 | 30 | | under this section. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (e) Not later than January 1, 2028, the extension service |
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| 32 | 32 | | shall prepare and publish on the extension service's Internet |
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| 33 | 33 | | website a report summarizing each annual report published under |
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| 34 | 34 | | Subsection (d) and providing policy recommendations to address |
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| 35 | 35 | | outbreaks of plant diseases and pests. The extension service shall |
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| 36 | 36 | | provide the report to the governor, commissioner, lieutenant |
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| 37 | 37 | | governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (f) This section expires January 31, 2028. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 40 | 40 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 41 | 41 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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