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. This Act takes effect only if a specific
2-17 appropriation for the implementation of this Act is provided in
2-18 H.B. 1 (General Appropriations Act), Acts of the 76th Legislature,
2-19 Regular Session, 1999. If no specific appropriation is provided in
2-20 H.B. No. 1, the General Appropriations Act, this Act has no effect.
2-21 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-26 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-27 passage, and it is so enacted.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2631 was passed by the House on April
20, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 2, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 2631 on May 21, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0,
1 present, not voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2631 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 19, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor