| 1 | 1 | | 89R18484 SCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Gervin-Hawkins H.B. No. 5085 |
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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 a study on the impact of certain seed banks and seed |
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| 10 | 10 | | preservation on access to food and the environment. |
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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. DEFINITION. In this Act, "department" means the |
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| 13 | 13 | | Department of Agriculture. |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 2. STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF SEED BANKS AND SEED |
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| 15 | 15 | | PRESERVATION. (a) The department shall conduct a study on the |
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| 16 | 16 | | impact of seed banks and seed preservation in each county: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) with a population of more than 2,000,000; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) that has a conservation facility located in the |
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| 19 | 19 | | county. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The department shall collaborate with any state agency, |
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| 21 | 21 | | political subdivision, or other organization the department |
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| 22 | 22 | | determines relevant to the study. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) In conducting the study, the department shall assess the |
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| 24 | 24 | | impact a seed bank or seed preservation may have on: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) access to food, including: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) the number of people a seed bank can generate |
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| 27 | 27 | | food for; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) the limitations of a seed bank in generating |
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| 29 | 29 | | food or feeding people; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) the environment, including: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (A) ecosystem restoration and biodiversity |
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| 32 | 32 | | recovery following a natural disaster, including a hurricane, fire, |
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| 33 | 33 | | or flood; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (B) climate change mitigation. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2026, the |
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| 36 | 36 | | department shall prepare and submit a report to the governor, |
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| 37 | 37 | | lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and |
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| 38 | 38 | | appropriate standing committees of the legislature on the results |
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| 39 | 39 | | of the study conducted under Section 2 of this Act and |
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| 40 | 40 | | recommendations for legislative or other action on seed banks, seed |
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| 41 | 41 | | preservation, and seed germination and propagation. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 4. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires January 1, |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2027. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 45 | 45 | | 1, 2025. |
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