By Ellis                                              S.B. No. 1265
         76R7969 BDH-F                           
                                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 schools located in large urban school districts for the
1-11     purpose of establishing demonstration agricultural projects.
1-12           Sec. 46.002.  ELIGIBILITY.  Subject to available funds, a
1-13     public school is eligible to receive a grant under this chapter if
1-14     the school:
1-15                 (1)  is located in a municipality with a population of
1-16     at least one million;
1-17                 (2)  is located in a school district with an enrollment
1-18     of at least 60,000 students; and
1-19                 (3)  submits to the department, at the time and in the
1-20     form required by the department, a proposal for a demonstration
1-21     agricultural project that includes:
1-22                       (A)  a description of the proposed project;
1-23                       (B)  a schedule of projected costs for the
1-24     project; and
 2-1                       (C)  a statement of the educational benefits of
 2-2     the project, including how the project will improve understanding
 2-3     of agriculture.
 2-4           Sec. 46.003.  LIMIT.  A grant awarded to a school under this
 2-5     chapter may not exceed $2,500.
 2-6           Sec. 46.004.  REPORT.  A school that receives a grant under
 2-7     this chapter must report the results of the project to the
 2-8     department in a manner determined by the department.
 2-9           Sec. 46.005.  FUNDS.  The department may solicit and accept
2-10     gifts, grants, and other donations from any source to carry out
2-11     this chapter.
2-12           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-17     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-18     passage, and it is so enacted.