DME S.B. 1576 75(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK
S.B. 1576
By: Bivins (Swinford)
5-22-97
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND 

Current law requires a biennial cost-benefit study to be performed on all
agricultural finance programs under the Texas Agricultural Finance
Authority (TAFA).  The TAFA board feels the requirements of the study are
too burdensome. TAFA hopes to establish two performance measures that
would be incorporated into the appropriations act in order to more
accurately gauge the benefits of the agricultural finance programs.  This
bill requires at least two performance measures that provide certain
information to be developed by TAFA in conjunction with certain other
governmental agencies. 

PURPOSE

This legislation requires certain performance measures to be developed in
order to measure the effectiveness of agricultural loan programs.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the Committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 58.017, Agriculture Code, as follows:

Changes the heading of the section to "PERFORMANCE MEASURES".  Requires
the board of directors of the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA),
in conjunction with certain governmental entities, to develop a minimum of
two performance measures that provide information on the benefits of
TAFA's loan programs.  Requires the performance measures to be included in
TAFA's annual report or as a component of the measures incorporated into
the appropriations act.  Deletes existing Subsections (a) through (c)
regarding a biennial costbenefit study.    

SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
  Effective date:  90 days after adjournment.