| 1 | 1 | | 89R914 MP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 2936 |
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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 establishment of the office of food system security |
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| 10 | 10 | | and resiliency in the Department of Agriculture and the management |
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| 11 | 11 | | of the Texas food system security and resiliency planning council. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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| 14 | 14 | | adding Section 12.052 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 12.052. OFFICE OF FOOD SYSTEM SECURITY AND RESILIENCY. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (a) In this section, "office" means the office of food system |
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| 17 | 17 | | security and resiliency established by this section. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The office of food system security and resiliency is |
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| 19 | 19 | | established as a division within the department. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) The office is responsible for food system security and |
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| 21 | 21 | | resiliency in this state, including: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) coordinating state resources and programs so food |
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| 23 | 23 | | access industry professionals can efficiently use resources to meet |
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| 24 | 24 | | the needs of this state; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) ensuring a food system in this state that is free |
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| 26 | 26 | | of disruption; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) promoting the growth, manufacture, and processing |
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| 28 | 28 | | of agricultural products in this state for farm-to-store and |
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| 29 | 29 | | farm-to-table consumption; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) developing regional food system security and |
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| 31 | 31 | | resiliency planning by working with other state agencies, counties, |
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| 32 | 32 | | municipalities, school districts, and local governments; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) promoting policies to establish more localized |
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| 34 | 34 | | food markets or food access points through measures such as: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (A) connecting retailers, distributors, |
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| 36 | 36 | | municipalities, counties, school districts, and other local |
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| 37 | 37 | | governments to local producers; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) collaborating with local stakeholders to |
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| 39 | 39 | | expand food access across this state. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (d) The office shall, not later than December 1 of each |
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| 41 | 41 | | even-numbered year, make recommendations to the legislature for |
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| 42 | 42 | | legislation that may improve food system security and resiliency in |
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| 43 | 43 | | this state. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (e) The office shall manage the Texas food system security |
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| 45 | 45 | | and resiliency planning council under Chapter 23. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. Section 23.001(2), Agriculture Code, is amended |
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| 47 | 47 | | to read as follows: |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) "Office" means[: |
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| 49 | 49 | | [(A)] the office of food system security and |
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| 50 | 50 | | resiliency under Section 12.052 [if that office is established as a |
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| 51 | 51 | | division within the department by an Act of the 88th Legislature, |
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| 52 | 52 | | Regular Session, 2023; or |
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| 53 | 53 | | [(B) the food and nutrition division of the |
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| 54 | 54 | | department if the office of food system security and resiliency is |
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| 55 | 55 | | not established as a division within the department by an Act of the |
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| 56 | 56 | | 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023]. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 3. (a) Not later than December 31, 2025, the |
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| 58 | 58 | | Department of Agriculture shall establish the office of food system |
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| 59 | 59 | | security and resiliency under Section 12.052, Agriculture Code, as |
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| 60 | 60 | | added by this Act. |
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| 61 | 61 | | (b) The food and nutrition division of the Department of |
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| 62 | 62 | | Agriculture shall continue to manage the Texas food system security |
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| 63 | 63 | | and resiliency planning council until the department establishes |
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| 64 | 64 | | the office of food system security and resiliency. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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