By:  Armbrister                                       S.B. No. 1319
       73R5331 CAS-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the composition of the Fire Ant Advisory Board.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Sections 77.021(a), (b), (g), and (h),
    1-5  Agriculture Code, are amended to read as follows:
    1-6        (a)  The Fire Ant Advisory Board is created and is composed
    1-7  of:
    1-8              (1)  the dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences
    1-9  of Texas Tech University <commissioner of agriculture>;
   1-10              (2)  the executive director of the Parks and Wildlife
   1-11  Department;
   1-12              (3)  the engineer-director of the State Department of
   1-13  Highways and Public Transportation;
   1-14              (4)  a representative of the farm and ranch industry,
   1-15  appointed by the commissioner of agriculture;
   1-16              (5)  a representative of the nursery industry,
   1-17  appointed by the commissioner of agriculture;
   1-18              (6)  a representative of the utility industry,
   1-19  appointed by the governor;
   1-20              (7)  a representative of the insurance industry,
   1-21  appointed by the governor;
   1-22              (8)  a representative of the medical profession who is
   1-23  an expert in the toxicology related to fire ants, appointed by the
   1-24  governor; and
    2-1              (9)  a representative of the general public, appointed
    2-2  by the governor.
    2-3        (b)  The dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences of
    2-4  Texas Tech University <commissioner of agriculture> shall serve as
    2-5  chairman of the board, and the board shall annually elect whatever
    2-6  other officers the members consider necessary.
    2-7        (g)  Texas Tech University <The commissioner of agriculture>
    2-8  shall provide the advisory board with necessary staff, office
    2-9  space, and administrative services.
   2-10        (h)  The chairman of the board <commissioner of agriculture>
   2-11  shall, at least once each fiscal year, prepare an accounting of the
   2-12  expenses provided to the advisory board by Texas Tech University
   2-13  for the necessary staff, office space, and administrative services.
   2-14  The university <department> shall be reimbursed for these expenses
   2-15  from the amount received by the board from gifts, grants, and
   2-16  appropriations as described by Section 77.022(c) of this code.
   2-17        SECTION 2.  The Fire Ant Advisory Board shall reimburse the
   2-18  Department of Agriculture for any expenses the department incurred
   2-19  before the effective date of this Act in fulfilling its
   2-20  responsibilities under Section 77.021, Agriculture Code, as that
   2-21  section existed before amendment by this Act.
   2-22        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-23        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-25  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-26  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-27  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.