Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 865	House Author:  Swinford
Effective:  9-1-09	Senate Sponsor:  Hegar

            House Bill 865 amends the Government Code to establish the Texas Invasive Species Coordinating Committee to facilitate state efforts to prevent and manage invasive species in Texas, to serve as a catalyst for associated cooperation among state agencies, and to fulfill certain other functions related to the issue.  The member agencies of the committee are the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Parks and Wildlife Department, the State Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas Forest Service, the Texas Water Development Board, and any other state agency whose request for membership is approved by those six agencies.  The bill provides that the committee is administratively attached to the State Soil and Water Conservation Board.  It makes the committee subject to the Texas Sunset Act, with a sunset expiration date of September 1, 2013.  The bill requires the committee to hold its first meeting and adopt bylaws not later than February 1, 2010.