By Flores, McReynolds, et al. H.B. No. 597 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to preference to Texas and United States products in 1-3 purchasing by school districts. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 44, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 44.042 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 44.042. PREFERENCE TO TEXAS AND UNITED STATES PRODUCTS. 1-8 (a) A school district that purchases agricultural products shall 1-9 give preference to those produced, processed, or grown in this 1-10 state if the cost to the school district is equal and the quality 1-11 is acceptable to the school district. 1-12 (b) If agricultural products produced, processed, or grown 1-13 in this state are not equal in cost and not acceptable to the 1-14 school district in quality, the school district shall give 1-15 preference to agricultural products produced, processed, or grown 1-16 in other states of the United States over foreign products if the 1-17 cost to the school district is equal and the quality is acceptable 1-18 to the school district. 1-19 (c) A school district that purchases vegetation for 1-20 landscaping purposes, including plants, shall give preference to 1-21 Texas vegetation if the cost to the school district is equal and 1-22 the quality is acceptable to the school district. 1-23 (d) In the implementation of this section, a school district 1-24 may receive assistance from and use the resources of the Texas 2-1 Department of Agriculture, including information on availability of 2-2 agricultural products. 2-3 (e) A school district may not adopt product purchasing 2-4 specifications that unnecessarily exclude agricultural products 2-5 produced, processed, or grown in this state. 2-6 (f) In this section: 2-7 (1) "Agricultural products" includes textiles and 2-8 other similar products. 2-9 (2) "Processed" means canning, freezing, drying, 2-10 juicing, preserving, or any other act that changes the form of a 2-11 good from its natural state to another form. 2-12 SECTION 2. The Texas Education Agency shall conduct an 2-13 analysis of purchases by school districts to determine the 2-14 effectiveness of Section 44.042, Education Code, as added by this 2-15 Act, and shall report the results of its analysis to the governor, 2-16 lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives 2-17 not later than January 1, 2001. 2-18 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-19 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.