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. 3-23 * * * * *