By Turner of Harris H.B. No. 2631 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a grant program for agricultural projects in certain 1-3 public school districts. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Chapter 46 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 46. AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS IN CERTAIN URBAN SCHOOLS 1-8 Sec. 46.001. CREATION. Consistent with this chapter, the 1-9 department by rule shall develop a program to award grants to 1-10 public elementary schools located in large urban school districts 1-11 for the purpose of establishing demonstration agricultural 1-12 projects. 1-13 Sec. 46.002. ELIGIBILITY. Subject to available funds, a 1-14 public elementary school is eligible to receive a grant under this 1-15 chapter if the school: 1-16 (1) is located in a school district with an enrollment 1-17 of at least 49,000 students, except that if more than $25,000 is 1-18 appropriated for the purposes of this chapter, a school is eligible 1-19 if it is located in a school district with an enrollment of at 1-20 least 45,000 students; and 1-21 (2) submits to the department, at the time and in the 1-22 form required by the department, a proposal for a demonstration 1-23 agricultural project that includes: 1-24 (A) a description of the proposed project; 2-1 (B) a schedule of projected costs for the 2-2 project; and 2-3 (C) a statement of the educational benefits of 2-4 the project, including how the project will improve understanding 2-5 of agriculture. 2-6 Sec. 46.003. LIMITS. (a) The department may not award more 2-7 than $2,500 to a school under this chapter in a school year. 2-8 (b) The department may not award a grant to more than one 2-9 school within the same school district in a school year. 2-10 Sec. 46.004. REPORT. A school that receives a grant under 2-11 this chapter must report the results of the project to the 2-12 department in a manner determined by the department. 2-13 Sec. 46.005. FUNDS. The department may solicit and accept 2-14 gifts, grants, and other donations from any source to carry out 2-15 this chapter. 2-16 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-21 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-22 passage, and it is so enacted.