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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to food system security and resiliency planning. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 2, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding |
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Chapter 23 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 23. FOOD SYSTEM SECURITY |
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Sec. 23.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Council" means the Texas food system security and |
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resiliency planning council. |
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(2) "Office" means: |
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(A) the office of food system security and |
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resiliency if that office is established as a division within the |
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department by an Act of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, |
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2023; or |
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(B) the food and nutrition division of the |
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department if the office of food system security and resiliency is |
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not established as a division within the department by an Act of the |
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88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023. |
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Sec. 23.002. TEXAS FOOD SYSTEM SECURITY AND RESILIENCY |
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PLANNING COUNCIL. (a) The office shall establish the Texas food |
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system security and resiliency planning council. The council is |
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composed of the following members: |
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(1) seven members appointed by the governor; |
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(2) seven members appointed by the lieutenant |
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governor; |
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(3) six members appointed by the speaker of the house |
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of representatives; |
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(4) one member appointed by the commissioner to |
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represent food banks; |
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(5) the assistant commissioner of agriculture for the |
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food and nutrition division as a nonvoting member; |
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(6) the director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension |
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Service as a nonvoting member; and |
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(7) one nonvoting member appointed by the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to |
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represent the supplemental nutrition assistance program, the |
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federal special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, |
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and children, and the supplemental nutrition assistance |
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program-education. |
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(b) A council member serves at the pleasure of the |
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appointing authority. |
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(c) The governor shall designate a chair of the council from |
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the members that the governor appoints. The lieutenant governor |
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shall designate a vice chair of the council from the members that |
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the lieutenant governor appoints. |
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(d) The council shall meet at least once quarterly or more |
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frequently at the call of the chair. |
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(e) A member of the council is not entitled to compensation |
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or reimbursement for expenses incurred in performing council |
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duties. |
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(f) The council shall: |
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(1) give guidance to the office; and |
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(2) review the state food system security plan |
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developed under Section 23.003. |
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Sec. 23.003. STATE FOOD SYSTEM SECURITY PLAN. (a) The |
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office shall develop a state food system security plan. The plan |
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must: |
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(1) provide for the orderly development and management |
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of food system security throughout this state, including ensuring |
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sufficient food is available at a reasonable cost to: |
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(A) ensure public health, safety, and welfare; |
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(B) further economic development; and |
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(C) protect the agricultural and natural |
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resources of this state; |
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(2) account for times of severe drought conditions, |
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natural disaster, man-made disaster, or other calamities; and |
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(3) include legislative recommendations that are |
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needed or desirable to facilitate the resilience and availability |
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of food in this state. |
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(b) In developing the plan, the office shall seek the advice |
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of: |
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(1) the Department of State Health Services; and |
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(2) the Parks and Wildlife Department. |
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(c) The office shall: |
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(1) review and revise as necessary the plan developed |
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under Subsection (a) at least once every five years; and |
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(2) deliver the plan to the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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chair of the appropriate committees in each house of the |
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legislature. |
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Sec. 23.004. FOOD SYSTEM SECURITY PLANNING FUND. (a) In |
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this section, "planning fund" means the food system security |
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planning fund. |
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(b) The planning fund is a dedicated account in the general |
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revenue fund and consists of: |
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(1) appropriations of money to the planning fund by |
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the legislature; |
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(2) gifts, grants, including federal grants, and other |
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donations received for the planning fund; and |
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(3) interest earned on the investment of money in the |
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planning fund. |
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(c) The planning fund may be used only to administer the |
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council under Section 23.002. |
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(d) The office may accept grants, gifts, or donations from |
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any source that are made for the purposes of this section. Money |
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received under this subsection shall be deposited in the planning |
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fund. |
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Sec. 23.005. TEXAS FOOD SYSTEM SECURITY AND RESILIENCY |
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GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Eligible recipient" means: |
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(A) a municipality; |
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(B) a county; |
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(C) a council of government; |
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(D) a regional planning council; |
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(E) an economic development corporation; |
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(F) a transit authority; |
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(G) a nonprofit or similar organization; |
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(H) a farm or agricultural product or service |
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cooperative; |
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(I) a nonprofit farmers' market or grocery store; |
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or |
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(J) a micro-business as defined by Section |
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2006.001, Government Code. |
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(2) "Grant fund" means the Texas food system security |
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and resiliency projects fund. |
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(b) The grant fund is a dedicated account in the general |
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revenue fund and consists of: |
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(1) appropriations of money to the grant fund by the |
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legislature; |
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(2) gifts, grants, including federal grants, and other |
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donations received for the grant fund; and |
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(3) interest earned on the investment of money in the |
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grant fund. |
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(c) The office shall award grants to eligible recipients to |
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increase food system security or resiliency in this state. To be |
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eligible for a grant, a project must be related to food production, |
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food system security, or food supply resiliency and have the |
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ability to impact either an individual community or the production |
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of a specific agricultural commodity. |
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(d) The grant fund may be used by the office only to: |
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(1) award grants under this section; and |
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(2) administer the grant program under this section. |
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Sec. 23.006. RULES. The department shall adopt rules |
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necessary to administer this chapter. |
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SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act, the Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules |
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and procedures as required to implement Chapter 23, Agriculture |
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Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) As soon as practicable after the adoption of rules and |
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procedures under Subsection (a) of this section, the governor, |
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lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, |
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executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission, |
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and commissioner of agriculture shall appoint the initial members |
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of the Texas food system security and resiliency planning council |
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under Section 23.002, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2025, the office, as |
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that term is defined by Section 23.001, Agriculture Code, as added |
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by this Act, shall deliver the initial state food system security |
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plan as required by Section 23.003(c), Agriculture Code, as added |
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by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |