1-1     By:  Cook (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister)               H.B. No. 3277
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1999;
 1-3     April 27, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Natural Resources; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to research in agriculture production and its effect on
 1-9     water use and availability and wildlife habitats.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 88, Education Code, is
1-12     amended by adding Section 88.216 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 88.216.  AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH AND
1-14     MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE; OTHER AGENCIES.  (a)  The
1-15     Agriculture and Wildlife Research and Management Advisory Committee
1-16     is an advisory committee of the Texas Agricultural Experiment
1-17     Station and is composed of:
1-18                 (1)  one representative of the Texas Agricultural
1-19     Experiment Station, appointed by the director of the Texas
1-20     Agricultural Experiment Station;
1-21                 (2)  one representative of the Texas Agricultural
1-22     Extension Service, appointed by the director of the Texas
1-23     Agricultural Extension Service;
1-24                 (3)  one representative of Texas Tech University,
1-25     appointed by the dean of the College of Agriculture of Texas Tech
1-26     University;
1-27                 (4)  one representative of The University of Texas at
1-28     Austin, appointed by the vice president for research of The
1-29     University of Texas System;
1-30                 (5)  one representative of the Department of
1-31     Agriculture, appointed by the commissioner of agriculture;
1-32                 (6)  one representative of the Parks and Wildlife
1-33     Department, appointed by the director of the department;
1-34                 (7)  one representative of the Texas Water Development
1-35     Board, appointed by the executive director of the board;
1-36                 (8)  one representative of county government, appointed
1-37     by the governor;
1-38                 (9)  one representative of the general public,
1-39     appointed by the governor;
1-40                 (10)  one representative of the agribusiness industry,
1-41     appointed by the governor;
1-42                 (11)  one representative of environmental interests,
1-43     appointed by the governor;
1-44                 (12)  one representative of wildlife interests,
1-45     appointed by the governor; and
1-46                 (13)  one representative of the Texas rice industry,
1-47     appointed by the governor.
1-48           (b)  The members of the committee serve staggered two-year
1-49     terms, with the terms of the members appointed under Subsections
1-50     (a)(1)-(6) expiring on February 1 of each odd-numbered year and the
1-51     terms of the remaining members expiring on February 1 of each
1-52     even-numbered year.
1-53           (c)  The members of the committee shall select a presiding
1-54     officer who shall serve for a term of two years.
1-55           (d)  The advisory committee shall meet not less than two
1-56     times each year.
1-57           (e)  The administrative expenses of the advisory committee
1-58     may not exceed 20 percent of the total amount of funds available
1-59     for expenditure by the advisory committee.
1-60           (f)  Members of the advisory committee are not entitled to
1-61     compensation for service on the advisory committee or reimbursement
1-62     for travel expenses, except that a member who represents a
1-63     university or state agency may receive any reimbursement for travel
1-64     expenses to which the member is otherwise entitled from the
 2-1     university or agency.
 2-2           (g)  The advisory committee shall:
 2-3                 (1)  assist the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
 2-4     in conducting agriculture and wildlife research;
 2-5                 (2)  encourage communication with states that are
 2-6     interested in agriculture, wildlife, and water issues; and
 2-7                 (3)  establish a plan for more efficient management of
 2-8     water resources related to wildlife habitats and agriculture
 2-9     production in the Gulf Coast Region.
2-10           (h)  The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station shall:
2-11                 (1)  administer an agriculture and wildlife research
2-12     program;
2-13                 (2)  solicit grants and create funding programs for
2-14     agriculture and wildlife research;
2-15                 (3)  engage in activities designed to maximize funding
2-16     from the federal government for agriculture and wildlife research
2-17     and management; and
2-18                 (4)  with the advice of the advisory committee, plan a
2-19     program of research regarding agriculture production and its
2-20     relationship with water use and wildlife habitats.
2-21           (i)  The Texas Agricultural Extension Service shall:
2-22                 (1)  provide educational programs relating to
2-23     agriculture production, water use, and wildlife habitats; and
2-24                 (2)  conduct public awareness programs relating to the
2-25     interaction of agriculture production, water use, and wildlife
2-26     habitats through the use of mass communications media,
2-27     publications, demonstrations, and other means of public education.
2-28           SECTION 2.  Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
2-29     Chapter 46 to read as follows:
2-30           CHAPTER 46.  AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH PROGRAM
2-31           Sec. 46.001.  PROGRAM.  The Texas Agricultural Experiment
2-32     Station, in consultation with the Agriculture and Wildlife Research
2-33     and Management Advisory Committee established under Section 88.216,
2-34     Education Code, shall develop and administer a program to finance
2-35     agriculture and wildlife research that the Texas Agricultural
2-36     Experiment Station determines to be of the highest scientific merit
2-37     and to offer significant promise in providing new directions for
2-38     long-term solutions to continued agriculture production, water
2-39     availability, and wildlife habitat availability.
2-40           Sec. 46.002.  TERM OF AWARD.  An award under Section 46.001
2-41     must be granted for a two-year period and may be extended at the
2-42     end of that period after review.
2-43           Sec. 46.003.  FUNDS.  The Texas Agricultural Experiment
2-44     Station may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or
2-45     private source, in addition to other appropriations.  The use of
2-46     gifts and grants  is subject to any limitations contained in the
2-47     gift or grant.
2-48           Sec. 46.004.  ANNUAL ACCOUNTING.  The Texas Agricultural
2-49     Experiment Station shall provide to the committee in each house of
2-50     the legislature having jurisdiction over agricultural matters an
2-51     annual accounting of all money received, awarded, and expended
2-52     during the year.
2-53           SECTION 3.  Not later than July 1, 2001, the Texas
2-54     Agricultural Experiment Station shall provide to the lieutenant
2-55     governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
2-56     chair of the committee in each house of the legislature having
2-57     jurisdiction over agricultural matters a report prepared with the
2-58     assistance and approval of the Agriculture and Wildlife Research
2-59     and Management Advisory Committee established by Section 88.216,
2-60     Education Code, as added by this Act.  The report shall include
2-61     information on the following:
2-62                 (1)  research being conducted by universities,
2-63     governmental agencies, and private entities that relates to
2-64     agriculture and wildlife;
2-65                 (2)  research that could potentially be conducted if
2-66     additional funds were available;
2-67                 (3)  possible benefits of current and future research
2-68     efforts;
2-69                 (4)  an estimate of the costs associated with past,
 3-1     current, and future changes in agriculture production and the
 3-2     effects on water quality and availability and the direct and
 3-3     indirect effects on wildlife habitats;
 3-4                 (5)  recommendations for future research related to
 3-5     agriculture production, water use, and wildlife habitats in this
 3-6     state;
 3-7                 (6)  an estimate of the cost of research necessary to
 3-8     address the problems associated with agriculture production, water
 3-9     use, and wildlife habitats in this state;
3-10                 (7)  an estimate of the economic and human costs
3-11     associated with not addressing the problems in agriculture
3-12     production, water use, and wildlife habitats in this state; and
3-13                 (8)  a recommendation of the amount of money the
3-14     legislature should appropriate to support research and management
3-15     in agriculture production, water use, and wildlife habitats.
3-16           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-22     passage, and it is so enacted.
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