By: Armbrister S.B. No. 1319
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the composition and name of the Fire Ant Advisory
1-2 Board.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 77.021, Agriculture Code, is amended to
1-5 read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 77.021. FIRE ANT RESEARCH ADVISORY BOARD. (a) The
1-7 Fire Ant Research Advisory Board is created and is composed of:
1-8 (1) the dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences
1-9 and Natural Resources of Texas Tech University, or a designee
1-10 <commissioner of agriculture>;
1-11 (2) the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife
1-12 Department, or a designee;
1-13 (3) the executive director <engineer-director> of the
1-14 Texas Department of <State Department of Highways and Public>
1-15 Transportation, or a designee;
1-16 (4) a representative of the farm and ranch industry,
1-17 appointed by the commissioner of agriculture;
1-18 (5) a representative of the nursery industry,
1-19 appointed by the commissioner of agriculture;
1-20 (6) a representative of the utility industry,
1-21 appointed by the governor;
1-22 (7) a representative of the insurance industry,
1-23 appointed by the governor;
1-24 (8) a representative of the medical profession who is
2-1 an expert in the toxicology related to fire ants, appointed by the
2-2 governor; <and>
2-3 (9) a representative of the general public, appointed
2-4 by the governor; and
2-5 (10) the Vice Chancellor for Agriculture of The Texas
2-6 A&M University System, or a designee.
2-7 (b) The dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and
2-8 Natural Resources of Texas Tech University, or a designee
2-9 <commissioner of agriculture> shall serve as chairman of the board,
2-10 and the board shall annually elect whatever other officers the
2-11 members consider necessary.
2-12 (c) The board shall meet at least twice annually, and the
2-13 chairman may call additional meetings.
2-14 (d) Appointed board members serve for staggered terms of six
2-15 years. The terms of two appointed board members expire on January
2-16 1 of each odd-numbered year. The officer who appointed a member
2-17 who vacates the person's position on the board shall fill the
2-18 vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.
2-19 (e) The members of the advisory board serve without
2-20 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses
2-21 incurred in carrying out official duties, subject to the approval
2-22 of the chairman of the board.
2-23 (f) Money for expense reimbursement shall be deducted from
2-24 the amounts received by the board from gifts, grants, and
2-25 appropriations as described by Section 77.022(c) of this code.
2-26 (g) Texas Tech University <The commissioner of agriculture>
2-27 shall provide the advisory board with necessary staff, office
3-1 space, and administrative services.
3-2 (h) The chairman of the board <commissioner of agriculture>
3-3 shall, at least once each fiscal year, prepare an accounting of the
3-4 expenses provided to the advisory board by Texas Tech University
3-5 for the necessary staff, office space, and administrative services.
3-6 The university <department> shall be reimbursed for these expenses
3-7 from the amount received by the board from gifts, grants, and
3-8 appropriations as described by Section 77.022(c) of this code.
3-9 SECTION 2. The Fire Ant Research Advisory Board shall
3-10 reimburse the Department of Agriculture for any expenses the
3-11 department incurred before the effective date of this Act in
3-12 fulfilling its responsibilities under Section 77.021, Agriculture
3-13 Code, as that section existed before amendment by this Act.
3-14 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
3-15 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.