Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 631 amends provisions of the Agriculture Code relating to the boll weevil eradication program. The act authorizes the commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture to inspect the financial records of the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, removes conditional language relating to the liability of aerial applicators for acts or omissions of the foundation so that it no longer has to carry them on its liability coverage, authorizes the foundation to purchase goods and services that provide the best value for the foundation, and establishes that the venue for any legal action involving the foundation is in Travis County.

            The act also authorizes the foundation to develop a compliance program for the collection of assessments owed by producers in active zones to finance boll weevil eradication efforts and to issue compliance certificates to growers when their assessments are paid. The commissioner is authorized to provide incentives for producers to pay assessments before they are due and to impose penalties for late payment of assessments.