By:  Bivins                                           S.B. No. 1576

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the development of performance measures by the Texas

 1-2     Agricultural Finance Authority.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 58.017, Agriculture Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 58.017.  PERFORMANCE MEASURES [COST-BENEFIT REPORT].

 1-7     The board, in conjunction with the Legislative Budget Board, the

 1-8     state auditor, and the office of the governor, shall develop a

 1-9     minimum of two performance measures that provide information on the

1-10     benefits of the authority's loan programs.  The performance

1-11     measures shall be included in the report required under Section

1-12     58.016(d) or as a component of the measures incorporated into the

1-13     General Appropriations Act. [(a)  The board shall perform a

1-14     biennial cost-benefit study of the authority's active and inactive

1-15     programs and prepare a report regarding that study.  The study must

1-16     include an examination of the number of jobs created or retained in

1-17     this state as a result of each program and the costs and benefits

1-18     associated with those jobs.]

1-19           [(b)  The chairman of the board shall file the report

1-20     prepared under Subsection (a) with the state auditor before

1-21     December 1 of each even-numbered year.]

1-22           [(c)  The state auditor shall review the report filed under

1-23     Subsection (b) and send the report and the auditor's comments

 2-1     regarding the methodology used by the authority in performing the

 2-2     cost-benefit study to the governor and the presiding officer of

 2-3     each house of the legislature not later than February 1 of each

 2-4     odd-numbered year.  The state auditor shall provide assistance to

 2-5     the department in preparing the report required by this section.]

 2-6           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.