By Cuellar of Hidalgo H.B. No. 2235
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to citrus fruit maturity standards
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 94.002, Agriculture Code, is amended by
1-5 amending subdivision (3) to read as follows:
1-6 (3) citrus fruit that is accepted for transportation
1-7 or is being transported by a common carrier, as follows:
1-8 (A) grapefruit shipped after December 1 of a
1-9 year and before August 1 of the following year; and
1-10 (B) early and mid-season oranges shipped after
1-11 November 1 of a year and before August 1 of the following year;
1-12 <after December 15 and before September 1 of a year>; or
1-13 SECTION 2. Section 94.004, Agriculture Code, is repealed.
1-14 SECTION 3. Section 94.025, Agriculture Code, is amended by
1-15 amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
1-16 (b) Citrus fruit that is immature or otherwise unfit for
1-17 consumption may not be prepared for sale or transportation,
1-18 transported, or received for any purpose prohibited by this
1-19 section, as follows: (1) grapefruit from December 2 of one year
1-20 to July 31 of the following year; and (2) early and mid-season
1-21 oranges from November 2 of one year to July 31 of the following
1-22 year <from December 16 to August 31 each year>.
1-23 SECTION 4. Section 94.031, Agriculture Code, is amended to
2-1 read as follows: (a) <Citrus fruit may not be transported, or
2-2 prepared, received, or delivered for transportation or market,
2-3 after August 31 and before December 16 each year> U<u>nless it has
2-4 been inspected for maturity and approved by a department citrus
2-5 fruit inspector or by a United States Department of Agriculture
2-6 citrus fruit inspector and is accompanied by a maturity stamp,
2-7 citrus fruit may not be transported, or prepared, received, or
2-8 delivered for transportation or market except as follows:
2-9 (1) grapefruit shipped before August 1 and after
2-10 December 1 of a year; and
2-11 (2) early and mid-season oranges shipped before August
2-12 1 and after November 1 of a year.
2-13 (b) A certificate of inspection and maturity issued under
2-14 this section must identify the citrus fruit to which it relates.
2-15 <(c) An inspector appointed under Section 94.004(c) of this
2-16 code shall sign certificates of inspection and maturity as "Special
2-17 Citrus Fruit Inspector.">
2-18 SECTION 5. Section 94.035, Agriculture Code, is amended by
2-19 amending subsection (a) and adding subsection (d) to read as
2-20 follows: (a) A person who sells or ships grapefruit after July 31
2-21 and before December 2 of a year and/or early and mid-season oranges
2-22 after July 31 and before November 2 of a year <citrus fruit after
2-23 August 31 and before December 16> shall pay to the department a
2-24 maximum fee of:
2-25 (1) 2.5 cents per standard box that is sold,
3-1 transported, or delivered for transportation;
3-2 (2) 1.5 cents per one-half standard box, or other
3-3 container that is one-half the size of a standard container, that
3-4 is sold, transported, or delivered for transportation; or
3-5 (3) 2.5 cents per 80-pound lot, or portion of an
3-6 80-pound lot, that is sold or transported in bulk.
3-7 (d) The inspection service organized under Subchapter A,
3-8 Chapter 91, of this code may collect fees associated with the
3-9 direction and supervision of the inspection and certification of
3-10 maturity of citrus fruit under this chapter.
3-11 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
3-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-16 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-17 passage, and it is so enacted.