By Raymond H.B. No. 2198
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to establishing a pilot program to use suitable
1-3 underutilized state property for community gardens markets for the
1-4 benefit of low income and needy families.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. COMMUNITY NUTRITION TASK FORCE; PILOT PROGRAM.
1-7 (a) The Texas Community Nutrition Task Force is established to
1-8 develop, implement, and evaluate a two-year community food
1-9 production and farmers market pilot program in at least two Texas
1-10 communities.
1-11 (b) The task force shall report the results of its
1-12 evaluations to the 75th Legislature.
1-13 SECTION 2. COMPOSITION OF TASK FORCE. (a) The task force
1-14 is composed of:
1-15 (1) representatives of the following state agencies
1-16 and services:
1-17 <(A) the Texas Department on Aging;>
1-18 <(B) the Department of Agriculture;>
1-19 (C) the Texas Agricultural Extension Service;
1-20 (D) the General Land Office;
1-21 <(E) the Texas Department of Health;>
1-22 <(F) the Texas Department of Housing and
1-23 Community Affairs; and>
1-24 <(G) the Texas Department of Human Services;
2-1 and>
2-2 (2) representatives of nonprofit organizations that
2-3 work in low-income communities or with Texas farmers and that are
2-4 invited to serve on the task force by a state agency or service
2-5 listed in Subdivision (1) of this subsection.
2-6 <(b) Each state agency or service listed in Subsection
2-7 (a)(1) of this section may invite not more than two nonprofit
2-8 organizations to serve on the task force under Subsection (a)(2) of
2-9 this section.>
2-10 SECTION 3. IDENTIFICATION OF SUITABLE UNDERUTILIZED
2-11 PROPERTY. The General Land Office shall identify underutilized
2-12 state property that is suitable for the establishment of a
2-13 community food garden or farmers market.
2-14 SECTION 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY FOOD GARDENS AND
2-15 FARMERS MARKETS. (a) The task force shall select suitable state
2-16 property identified by the General Land Office in at least two
2-17 communities for the establishment of pilot program community food
2-18 gardens or farmers markets.
2-19 (b) Each state agency or service on the task force shall
2-20 provide resources, information, and staff support for the
2-21 establishment of the community food gardens and farmers markets.
2-22 (c) Agencies, services, and organizations that are members
2-23 of the task force shall under the coordination of the task force:
2-24 (1) identify community groups, nonprofit
2-25 organizations, local government agencies, and persons in
2-26 communities near the gardens and markets that will be helpful in
2-27 implementing the program;
3-1 (2) work with community groups to develop a community
3-2 food garden and farmers market plan and to identify the resources
3-3 necessary to implement the plan; and
3-4 (3) teach youth and adults in communities near the
3-5 gardens and markets the basics of gardening for food, the basics of
3-6 nutrition, and how that knowledge benefits their health and
3-7 economic security.
3-8 SECTION 5. FOOD GROWN IN GARDENS. Food grown in a community
3-9 food garden may not be sold for individual profit but may be:
3-10 (1) sold at or below cost, as appropriate, to local
3-11 low-income families;
3-12 (2) donated to local families at risk for hunger; or
3-13 (3) sold to the general public with the proceeds of
3-14 the sales used to benefit the continued operation of the gardens
3-15 and farmers markets.
3-16 SECTION 6. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and this
3-17 Act expires September 1, 1997.
3-18 SECTION 7. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
3-19 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-24 passage, and it is so enacted.