By Ramsey H.B. No. 2341
74R4573 JMM-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of the fire ant research and management
1-3 account advisory committee.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 88, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 88.215 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 88.215. FIRE ANT RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT
1-8 ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The Fire Ant Research and Management
1-9 Account Advisory Committee is established as an advisory committee
1-10 within the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.
1-11 (b) The advisory committee consists of 13 members appointed
1-12 as follows:
1-13 (1) one representative of Texas A&M University
1-14 appointed by the board of regents of The Texas A&M University
1-15 System;
1-16 (2) one representative of Texas Tech University
1-17 appointed by the board of regents of Texas Tech University;
1-18 (3) one representative of The University of Texas
1-19 appointed by the board of regents of The University of Texas
1-20 System;
1-21 (4) one representative of the Texas Department of
1-22 Agriculture, regulatory division, appointed by the commissioner of
1-23 agriculture;
1-24 (5) one representative of the Texas Department of
2-1 Parks and Wildlife appointed by the director of the department;
2-2 (6) one representative of the Public Utility
2-3 Commission of Texas appointed by the commission;
2-4 (7) one representative of the Texas Department of
2-5 Health appointed by the commissioner of health;
2-6 (8) one representative of municipal governments
2-7 appointed by the governor;
2-8 (9) one representative of county governments appointed
2-9 by the governor;
2-10 (10) one representative of rural areas appointed by
2-11 the governor;
2-12 (11) one representative of the medical profession
2-13 appointed by the governor;
2-14 (12) one representative of the general public
2-15 appointed by the governor; and
2-16 (13) one representative of the livestock and cattle
2-17 industry appointed by the governor.
2-18 (c) The members of the committee serve staggered two-year
2-19 terms, with the terms of the members described by Subsections
2-20 (b)(1)-(7) expiring on February 1 of each odd-numbered year and the
2-21 terms of the other members expiring on February 1 of each
2-22 even-numbered year. A member may serve more than one term.
2-23 (d) A member of the committee who represents a university
2-24 shall serve as presiding officer. The three university members
2-25 shall rotate the position of presiding officer among themselves
2-26 every two years. The two university members who do not serve as
2-27 the presiding officer shall both serve as assistant presiding
3-1 officers.
3-2 (e) The advisory committee shall meet not less than three
3-3 times each year.
3-4 (f) The advisory committee may adopt rules for the
3-5 committee's internal procedures.
3-6 (g) The administrative expenses of the advisory committee
3-7 may not exceed 20 percent of the total amount of funds available
3-8 for expenditure by the advisory committee.
3-9 (h) Members of the advisory committee are not entitled to
3-10 compensation for service on the advisory committee. A member of
3-11 the committee who represents a university or state agency may
3-12 receive reimbursement for travel expenses from the university or
3-13 agency the member represents. A member of the advisory committee
3-14 who does not represent a university or state agency shall pay the
3-15 member's own expenses.
3-16 (i) The advisory committee shall:
3-17 (1) administer the fire ant basic research program
3-18 under Section 77.022, Agriculture Code;
3-19 (2) solicit, distribute, and create grant and other
3-20 funding programs for fire ant research;
3-21 (3) advise, assist, and direct the Texas Agricultural
3-22 Extension Service in conducting fire ant research;
3-23 (4) encourage communication with other states that are
3-24 infested with fire ants;
3-25 (5) provide educational programs on fire ant
3-26 infestation and treatment;
3-27 (6) establish a framework for more efficient
4-1 management of fire ant infestation problems;
4-2 (7) conduct public awareness programs regarding fire
4-3 ant infestation and treatment through use of the media,
4-4 publications, demonstrations, and other means; and
4-5 (8) engage in activities necessary to obtain the
4-6 maximum amount of federal funds available for fire ant research and
4-7 management.
4-8 SECTION 2. Sections 77.022(a), (b), (c), (e), and (f),
4-9 Agriculture Code, are amended to read as follows:
4-10 (a) The Fire Ant Research and Management Account Advisory
4-11 Committee, established under Section 88.215, Education Code, in the
4-12 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station <Board> shall oversee a
4-13 program to finance broadly based ant research that the advisory
4-14 committee <board> determines to be of the highest scientific merit
4-15 and offers the greatest promise in providing new directions for
4-16 long-term solutions to fire ant infestations.
4-17 (b) An award under the program described by Subsection (a)
4-18 of this section shall be granted for a two-year period for
4-19 individual or group projects, and may be extended after <a board>
4-20 review by the advisory committee at the end of that period.
4-21 (c) The advisory committee <board> may accept gifts and
4-22 grants from the federal government, state government, and private
4-23 sources, as well as legislative appropriations. The use of gifts
4-24 and grants other than legislative appropriations is subject, after
4-25 their appropriation, only to limitations contained in the gift or
4-26 grant.
4-27 (e) The advisory committee <board> shall make an annual
5-1 accounting of all money received, awarded, and expended during the
5-2 year to the legislative committees responsible for agricultural
5-3 issues.
5-4 (f) The advisory committee <Fire Ant Advisory Board> may
5-5 adopt rules necessary for the implementation and administration of
5-6 the award program.
5-7 SECTION 3. Section 77.021, Agriculture Code, is repealed.
5-8 SECTION 4. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
5-9 (b) The Fire Ant Advisory Board is abolished on the
5-10 effective date of this Act. On that date, the Fire Ant Research
5-11 and Management Account Advisory Committee shall assume the powers,
5-12 duties, obligations, property, unexpended and unobligated funds,
5-13 and other assets of the Fire Ant Advisory Board.
5-14 (c) Of the initial members of the Fire Ant Research and
5-15 Management Account Advisory Committee:
5-16 (1) the members appointed under Sections
5-17 88.215(b)(1)-(7), Education Code, as added by this Act, serve terms
5-18 expiring February 1, 1997; and
5-19 (2) the other members serve terms expiring February 1,
5-20 1996.
5-21 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
5-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.