1-1 By: Eckels (Senate Sponsor - Harris of Dallas) H.B. No. 2219
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1993;
1-3 April 27, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 International Relations, Trade, and Technology; May 5, 1993,
1-5 reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0;
1-6 May 5, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-8 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-9 Truan x
1-10 Barrientos x
1-11 Bivins x
1-12 Brown x
1-13 Carriker x
1-14 Harris of Tarrant x
1-15 Lucio x
1-16 Rosson x
1-17 Wentworth x
1-18 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-19 AN ACT
1-20 relating to the re-creation of the Texas-Israel Semi-Arid Fund as
1-21 the Texas-Israel Exchange Fund and to the powers and duties of that
1-22 board.
1-23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-24 SECTION 1. The chapter heading of Chapter 45, Agriculture
1-25 Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-26 CHAPTER 45. TEXAS-ISRAEL EXCHANGE <SEMI-ARID> FUND
1-27 SECTION 2. Section 45.001, Agriculture Code, is amended to
1-28 read as follows:
1-29 Sec. 45.001. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PURPOSE. (a) The
1-30 legislature finds that Texas and Israel have many interests in
1-31 common. They face many of the same difficulties in agriculture;
1-32 the geography of both areas produces semiarid climatic conditions;
1-33 there is present in both areas a rising demand for a limited supply
1-34 of water coupled with increasing pressures to minimize the use of
1-35 energy in all aspects of agriculture. Scientific and technological
1-36 cooperatives already produce close ties between the two areas while
1-37 engaging in binational projects for scientific and industrial
1-38 research and development.
1-39 A fund to support joint agricultural research and development
1-40 by, and the development of trade and business relations between,
1-41 Texas and Israel will address common problems and make substantial
1-42 contributions to the development of agriculture, trade, and
1-43 business in both areas. Since Texas has long emphasized
1-44 broad-based agricultural research and Israel has originated and
1-45 developed agricultural technologies designed to maximize production
1-46 with minimal use of resources such as water and labor, each of the
1-47 two areas will benefit by sharing information and expertise.
1-48 (b) The purpose of this chapter is to:
1-49 (1) establish a fund to promote and support practical
1-50 and applied agricultural research and development that will result
1-51 in mutual benefit to Texas and Israel and will help to provide
1-52 solutions to food and fiber production problems wherever they
1-53 exist, particularly those relating to water conservation; and
1-54 (2) establish a program of mutual cooperation that
1-55 will foster the development of trade, mutual assistance, and
1-56 business relations between Texas and Israel.
1-57 SECTION 3. Sections 45.002(2) and (3), Agriculture Code, are
1-58 amended to read as follows:
1-59 (2) "Board" means the Texas-Israel Exchange
1-60 <Semi-Arid> Fund Board.
1-61 (3) "Fund" means the Texas-Israel Exchange <Semi-Arid>
1-62 Fund.
1-63 SECTION 4. Section 45.003, Agriculture Code, is amended to
1-64 read as follows:
1-65 Sec. 45.003. CREATION OF FUND. (a) The Texas-Israel
1-66 Exchange <Semi-Arid> Fund is established within the department.
1-67 (b) The fund <Texas-Israel Semi-Arid Fund> is a fund in the
1-68 state treasury.
2-1 SECTION 5. Section 45.005, Agriculture Code, is amended by
2-2 adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
2-3 (f) The fund shall encourage and support a program of mutual
2-4 cooperation that will foster the development of trade, mutual
2-5 assistance, and business relations between Texas and Israel.
2-6 SECTION 6. The section heading of Section 45.006,
2-7 Agriculture Code, is amended to read as follows:
2-8 Sec. 45.006. TEXAS-ISRAEL EXCHANGE <SEMI-ARID> FUND BOARD.
2-9 SECTION 7. Sections 45.006(a), (d), and (i), Agriculture
2-10 Code, are amended to read as follows:
2-11 (a) The Texas-Israel Exchange <Semi-Arid> Fund Board is
2-12 created and composed of:
2-13 (1) the commissioner of agriculture;
2-14 (2) six <five> members appointed by the commissioner;
2-15 (3) one member <three members> appointed by the
2-16 executive officer of The University of Texas System;
2-17 (4) one member <three members> appointed by the
2-18 executive officer of The Texas A&M University System;
2-19 (5) one member <three members> appointed by the
2-20 executive officer of Texas Tech University; and
2-21 (6) as nonvoting, ex officio members, the lieutenant
2-22 governor, <and> the speaker of the house of representatives, and
2-23 the comptroller or their designees.
2-24 (d) Appointed board members serve for staggered six-year
2-25 terms. The terms of one-third of the <five> appointed board
2-26 members expire on February 1 of each odd-numbered year. <The
2-27 length of term of the appointed members of the first board shall be
2-28 decided by lot at the first meeting of the board with the terms of
2-29 five members expiring February 1, 1991; the terms of five members
2-30 expiring February 1, 1993; and the terms of five members expiring
2-31 February 1, 1995.>
2-32 (i) The board <Texas-Israel Semi-Arid Fund Board> is subject
2-33 to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless
2-34 continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the board is
2-35 abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2001 <1995>.
2-36 SECTION 8. Section 45.008(a), Agriculture Code, is amended
2-37 to read as follows:
2-38 (a) If the objectives of the fund cannot be realized because
2-39 of lack of cooperation with the appropriate entities in Israel or
2-40 if the board is abolished by the legislature or by operation of
2-41 <the Texas Sunset Act (>Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset
2-42 Act), any asset remaining that was received by gift or grant from
2-43 Israel shall be liquidated and a pro rata share of any money other
2-44 than revenue deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the
2-45 fund <Texas-Israel Semi-Arid Fund> shall be returned to Israel.
2-46 SECTION 9. (a) The Texas-Israel Semi-Arid Fund Board is
2-47 abolished, and the term of a member of the Texas-Israel Semi-Arid
2-48 Fund Board expires on the effective date of this Act.
2-49 (b) As soon as possible after the effective date of this
2-50 Act, the commissioner of agriculture shall appoint six members to
2-51 the Texas-Israel Exchange Fund Board as provided by Section 7 of
2-52 this Act, with two members' terms expiring February 1, 1995, two
2-53 members' terms expiring February 1, 1997, and two members' terms
2-54 expiring February 1, 1999.
2-55 (c) As soon as possible after the effective date of this
2-56 Act, the respective executive officers of The University of Texas
2-57 System, The Texas A&M University System, and Texas Tech University
2-58 shall each appoint one member to the Texas-Israel Exchange Fund
2-59 Board. At the first board meeting after the members appointed
2-60 under this subsection are qualified to take office, the three
2-61 members shall decide by lot the length of term of each member, with
2-62 one member's term expiring February 1, 1995, one member's term
2-63 expiring February 1, 1997, and one member's term expiring February
2-64 1, 1999.
2-65 (d) Until all members of the Texas-Israel Exchange Fund
2-66 Board are appointed and are qualified to take office as required by
2-67 this Act, a majority of the members who are qualified to serve on
2-68 the board constitutes a quorum of the board, so long as at least
2-69 four members are qualified.
2-70 SECTION 10. The importance of this legislation and the
3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-6 passage, and it is so enacted.
3-7 * * * * *
3-8 Austin,
3-9 Texas
3-10 May 5, 1993
3-11 Hon. Bob Bullock
3-12 President of the Senate
3-13 Sir:
3-14 We, your Committee on International Relations, Trade, and
3-15 Technology to which was referred H.B. No. 2219, have had the same
3-16 under consideration, and I am instructed to report it back to the
3-17 Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.
3-18 Truan,
3-19 Chairman
3-20 * * * * *
3-21 WITNESSES
3-22 FOR AGAINST ON
3-23 ___________________________________________________________________
3-24 Name: Mr. Mark M. Ellison x
3-25 Representing: Tx Dep of Agriculture
3-26 City: Austin
3-27 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-28 Name: Mr. Samuel A. Witkin x
3-29 Representing: Am Israel Pub Affairs Comm
3-30 City: Austin
3-31 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-32 Name: Representative Sherri Greenberg x
3-33 Representing: Self
3-34 City: Austin
3-35 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-36 Name: Peck Young x
3-37 Representing: Emory, Young and Associates
3-38 City: Austin
3-39 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-40 Name: Sheldon Miller x
3-41 Representing: The Pointe Group, Inc.
3-42 City:
3-43 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-44 Name: Melvin E. Waxler x
3-45 Representing: Wright & Greenhill, P.C.
3-46 City: Austin
3-47 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-48 Name: Joan G. Alexander x
3-49 Representing: Self
3-50 City: Houston
3-51 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-52 Name: Mark J. Gottesman, M.D. x
3-53 Representing: Self
3-54 City: Houston
3-55 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-56 Name: Ron Barshop x
3-57 Representing: Barshop & Associates
3-58 City: San Antonio
3-59 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-60 Name: Melvin A. Dow x
3-61 Representing: Dow, Cogburn & Friedman, P.C.
3-62 City: Houston
3-63 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-64 FOR AGAINST ON
3-65 ___________________________________________________________________
3-66 Name: Howard Schultz, President x
3-67 Representing: Howard Schultz & Associates
3-68 City: Dallas
3-69 -------------------------------------------------------------------
3-70 Name: Dr. Harlan Pollock x
4-1 Representing: Self
4-2 City: Dallas
4-3 -------------------------------------------------------------------
4-4 Name: Ms. Dolores Wilkenfeld x
4-5 Representing: Self
4-6 City: Houston
4-7 -------------------------------------------------------------------
4-8 Name: M. Russ Robinson, President x
4-9 Representing: U.S. Zinc
4-10 City: Houston
4-11 -------------------------------------------------------------------
4-12 Name: Stuart R. Schwartz x
4-13 Representing: Self
4-14 City: El Paso
4-15 -------------------------------------------------------------------