Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1781 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		89R3862 PRL-D
2	2		By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 1781
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5	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	8		AN ACT
7	9		relating to the Texas Livestock and Rodeo Education and
8	10		Continuation Grant Program.
9	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	12		SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
11	13		by adding Chapter 452 to read as follows:
12	14		CHAPTER 452. TEXAS LIVESTOCK AND RODEO EDUCATION AND CONTINUATION
13	15		GRANT PROGRAM
14	16		Sec. 452.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
15	17		(1) "Board" means the Texas Livestock and Rodeo
16	18		Education and Continuation Board established under Section
17	19		452.003.
18	20		(2) "Fund" means the Texas Livestock and Rodeo
19	21		Education and Continuation Fund established under Section 452.002.
20	22		(3) "Grant program" means the Texas Livestock and
21	23		Rodeo Education and Continuation Grant Program established under
22	24		Section 452.006.
23	25		Sec. 452.002. TEXAS LIVESTOCK AND RODEO EDUCATION AND
24	26		CONTINUATION FUND; COMPTROLLER DUTIES. (a) The Texas Livestock and
25	27		Rodeo Education and Continuation Fund is established outside the
26	28		state treasury and is held in trust by the comptroller for
27	29		administration of this chapter.
28	30		(b) The fund consists of:
29	31		(1) money appropriated, credited, or transferred to
30	32		the fund by the legislature;
31	33		(2) gifts or grants contributed to the fund; and
32	34		(3) interest earned on the deposits and investments of
33	35		the fund.
34	36		(c) The fund may be used only to implement the grant program
35	37		established under Section 452.006, including the costs of grant
36	38		program administration and operation.
37	39		(d) The comptroller at the direction of the board may
38	40		disburse money from the fund without appropriation only as provided
39	41		by this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter.
40	42		(e) The comptroller in consultation with the board may adopt
41	43		rules necessary to implement this chapter.
42	44		Sec. 452.003. TEXAS LIVESTOCK AND RODEO EDUCATION AND
43	45		CONTINUATION BOARD. (a) The Texas Livestock and Rodeo Education
44	46		and Continuation Board consists of seven members appointed by the
45	47		governor.
46	48		(b) In appointing members to the board, the governor shall
47	49		ensure each member has demonstrated interest in issues related to
48	50		rodeos and county fairs in this state through:
49	51		(1) competing in rodeos; or
50	52		(2) previous service:
51	53		(A) on a board of a rodeo organization, county
52	54		fair organization, 4-H program, or Future Farmers of America
53	55		organization; or
54	56		(B) with an organization or program described by
55	57		Paragraph (A) in the preceding 15 years.
56	58		(c) The board must include at least:
57	59		(1) two members with rodeo experience; and
58	60		(2) two members with county fair experience.
59	61		(d) Each board member the governor appoints must represent a
60	62		different region of this state.
61	63		(e) A board member may not hold any other public office.
62	64		(f) A board member serves without compensation but is
63	65		entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in attending
64	66		board meetings and in performing board duties.
65	67		(g) If a vacancy occurs on the board, the governor shall
66	68		appoint a member to fill the vacancy. A member appointed to fill a
67	69		vacancy on the board shall serve the remainder of the unexpired
68	70		term.
69	71		(h) The board shall meet quarterly.
70	72		Sec. 452.004. BOARD MEMBER TERMS. Board members serve
71	73		staggered six-year terms with the terms of two or three members
72	74		expiring on January 1 of each even-numbered year. A board member may
73	75		not serve more than two terms.
74	76		Sec. 452.005. BOARD PRESIDING OFFICER AND ASSISTANT
75	77		PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) The governor shall select from among the
76	78		board members a presiding officer for the board who serves at the
77	79		pleasure of the governor.
78	80		(b) The board members shall elect an assistant presiding
79	81		officer from among the board members who serves at the pleasure of
80	82		the board.
81	83		(c) The presiding officer and assistant presiding officer
82	84		serve two-year terms.
83	85		Sec. 452.006. TEXAS LIVESTOCK AND RODEO EDUCATION AND
84	86		CONTINUATION GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The board shall establish and
85	87		administer the Texas Livestock and Rodeo Education and Continuation
86	88		Grant Program to award money from the fund to county fairs and local
87	89		rodeos for the purposes of assisting with:
88	90		(1) facility and infrastructure maintenance or
89	91		construction;
90	92		(2) event programs;
91	93		(3) personnel salaries; and
92	94		(4) public health and safety.
93	95		(b) To be eligible for a grant award under the grant
94	96		program, an applicant must:
95	97		(1) apply in the manner the board prescribes;
96	98		(2) be in good standing under the laws of this state;
97	99		(3) specify the manner the grant money would benefit
98	100		county livestock programs or local youth agricultural programs
99	101		within the county; and
100	102		(4) demonstrate a legitimate need for the grant money
101	103		that provides a public benefit to this state in accordance with
102	104		board rules.
103	105		(c) The board may only award a grant in accordance with a
104	106		contract between the board and a grant recipient that includes
105	107		conditions providing the board with sufficient control to ensure
106	108		the public purpose of continuing to promote and improve this
107	109		state's livestock and agricultural programs and to educate the
108	110		public regarding those programs is accomplished and this state
109	111		receives a return benefit.
110	112		(d) Each local rodeo or county fair applicant awarded a
111	113		grant under the grant program shall submit:
112	114		(1) for a rodeo or county fair with an operating budget
113	115		greater than $10 million, a report on the economic impact
114	116		attributable to the preparation for and presentation of the rodeo
115	117		or fair in the area served by the rodeo or fair; or
116	118		(2) for a rodeo or county fair with an operating budget
117	119		less than $10 million, a report demonstrating the economic
118	120		development needs of the community.
119	121		(e) The board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement
120	122		this section.
121	123		Sec. 452.007. PERSONNEL. The board shall employ the
122	124		officers and employees necessary to administer this chapter.
123	125		Sec. 452.008. BIENNIAL REPORT. Not later than December 1 of
124	126		each even-numbered year, the board shall prepare and submit to the
125	127		governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the
126	128		legislature a report that includes:
127	129		(1) the fund balance as of the date of the report;
128	130		(2) the total amount of grant money awarded under and
129	131		other disbursements from the fund during the two preceding state
130	132		fiscal years;
131	133		(3) the number of grant applications submitted to the
132	134		board during the two preceding state fiscal years; and
133	135		(4) the economic impact reports and community need
134	136		reports submitted to the board during the two preceding state
135	137		fiscal years.
136	138		SECTION 2. (a) Not later than January 1, 2026, the governor
137	139		shall appoint members to the Texas Livestock and Rodeo Education
138	140		and Continuation Board and select a presiding officer from among
139	141		the members of the board as required by Chapter 452, Government
140	142		Code, as added by this Act.
141	143		(b) Notwithstanding Section 452.004, Government Code, as
142	144		added by this Act, in making the initial appointments to the Texas
143	145		Livestock and Rodeo Education and Continuation Board under
144	146		Subsection (a) of this section, the governor shall designate two
145	147		members to serve terms expiring January 1, 2028, two members to
146	148		serve terms expiring January 1, 2030, and three members to serve
147	149		terms expiring January 1, 2032.
148	150		SECTION 3. As soon as practicable following the effective
149	151		date of this Act, the Texas Livestock and Rodeo Education and
150	152		Continuation Board shall adopt the rules necessary to administer
151	153		the Texas Livestock and Rodeo Education and Continuation Grant
152	154		Program established under Section 452.006, Government Code, as
153	155		added by this Act.
154	156		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.