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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the composition of the board of directors of the Texas |
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Agricultural Finance Authority and grant amounts under the young |
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farmer grant program administered by the authority. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 58.012(a), Agriculture Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The authority is governed by a board of directors |
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composed of the commissioner of agriculture, a representative of |
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the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences [the director of the |
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Institute for International Agribusiness Studies] at Prairie View |
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A&M University selected by the dean of the college, a |
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representative of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources |
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at Tarleton State University selected by the dean of the college, |
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and 10 [nine] members appointed by the commissioner. Members of |
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the board must be appointed in the numbers specified and from the |
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following categories: |
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(1) one person who is an elected or appointed official |
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of a municipality or county; |
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(2) four persons who are knowledgeable about |
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agricultural lending practices; |
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(3) one person who is a representative of agricultural |
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businesses; |
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(4) one person who is a representative of agriculture |
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related entities, including rural chambers of commerce, |
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foundations, trade associations, institutions of higher education, |
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or other entities involved in agricultural matters; [and] |
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(5) two persons who represent young farmers and the |
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interests of young farmers; and |
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(6) one person who is knowledgeable about agricultural |
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practices and graduated with an agriculture degree from a state |
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institution of higher education within the past eight years. |
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SECTION 2. Section 58.093, Agriculture Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 58.093. AMOUNT OF GRANTS. A grant under the young |
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farmer grant program may not be less than $5,000 or more than |
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$35,000 [$20,000]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 58.093, Agriculture Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to a grant issued on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. A grant issued before the effective date of this |
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Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the grant is issued, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act in the |
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qualifications of appointed members of the board of directors of |
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the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority do not affect the |
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entitlement of an appointed member serving on the board immediately |
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before the effective date of this Act to continue to serve for the |
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remainder of the member's term. As the terms of board members |
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expire, the commissioner of agriculture shall appoint or reappoint |
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a member who has the qualifications required for a member under |
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Section 58.012(a), Agriculture Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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