SRC-MWN S.B. 398 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 398 77R4006 BDH-DBy: Duncan Natural Resources 2/13/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, due to the fragility of fresh produce, oftentimes food banks cannot get to the area to harvest donated produce in time and/or do not have the transportation resources to get that fresh produce to the food bank across the state before it rots. As proposed, S.B. 398 funds a grant program at the Texas Department of Agriculture to support food bank efforts to collect surplus or unmarketable fresh produce from the Texas agricultural community for distribution to lowincome families across the state. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Agriculture in SECTION 1 (Section 20.001, Agriculture Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Title 2, Agriculture Code, by adding Chapter 20, as follows: CHAPTER 20. GRANT PROGRAM FOR DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Sec. 20.001. CREATION. Requires the Department of Agriculture (department) by rule to develop a program to award grants to nonprofit organizations for the purpose of collecting and distributing surplus agricultural products to food banks and other charitable organizations that serve needy or low-income individuals. Sec. 20.002. ELIGIBILITY. Provides that a nonprofit organization, subject to available funds, is eligible to receive a grant under this chapter if the organization has at least five years of experience coordinating a statewide network of food banks and charitable organizations that serve each county of this state; operates a program that coordinates the collection and transportation of surplus agricultural products to a statewide network of food banks that provide food to needy or low-income individuals; and submits to the department, in the manner and time prescribed by the department, a proposal for the collection and distribution to food banks or other charitable organizations for use in providing food to needy or low-income individuals of surplus agricultural products, including a description, schedule of projected costs, measurable goals, and a plan for evaluating the success of the proposal. Sec. 20.003. REPORT. Requires a nonprofit organization that receives a grant under this chapter to report the results of the project to the department in the manner prescribed by the department. SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.