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House Bill 2997 |
House Author: Miles |
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Effective: Vetoed |
Senate Sponsor: Estes |
House Bill 2997 amends the Agriculture Code to set out temporary provisions requiring the Department of Agriculture by rule to develop and implement an urban farming pilot program through which the department will award grants if funding for grants is available to urban farmers in Texas to establish new urban farms and expand existing urban farms. The bill also establishes the Select Committee on Urban Farming.
Reason Given for Veto: "House Bill 2997 would create the Select Committee on Urban Farming and the Urban Farming Pilot Program, to be administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). While the goals of the pilot program are laudable, creating new unfunded programs in TDA at a time when the agency’s budget is being significantly cut is neither responsible nor acceptable. The select committee’s tasks can be addressed by the Senate and House Agriculture committees through interim studies in preparation for the next legislative session."