SRC-MWN S.B. 1627 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1627
77R8922 JMG-DBy: Wentworth
Natural Resources
4/2/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

As proposed, S.B. 1627 requires the Texas Department of Agriculture to
establish an atmosphere modification research program to conduct basic and
applied research designed to increase understanding of precipitation and
the ability to control precipitation to decrease the effects of drought,
hail, and flooding on the environment and man-made structures. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Agriculture
in SECTION 1 (Section 50A.003, Agriculture Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Title 3, Agriculture Code, by adding Chapter 50A, as
follows: 

CHAPTER 50A. ATMOSPHERE MODIFICATION RESEARCH

SUBCHAPTER A. ATMOSPHERE MODIFICATION RESEARCH PROGRAM

 Sec. 50A.001. PURPOSE. Sets forth legislative purpose.

Sec. 50A.002. PARTICIPATION. Sets forth provisions of participation of
certain persons. 

Sec. 50A.003. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. Requires the Department of
Agriculture (department) to perform certain procedures. 

Sec. 50A.004. DURATION OF GRANT. Requires a competitive research grant to
be for a period of five years and provides that, subject to review by the
department, it may be extended for a period of not more than two years. 

Sec. 50A.005. REPORT. Requires a program participant to file with the
department an annual report detailing the progress of the participant's
project at a certain time. 

Sec. 50A.006. EVALUATION OF PROGRAM. Requires the department to cause a
biennial independent evaluation of the program to be conducted by a team of
experts not associated with the program or the department. 

[Sections 50A.007-50A.010 reserved for expansion]

Sec. 50A.011. PURPOSE. Sets forth legislative purpose regarding the
establishment of an atmosphere modification research center (center). 

Sec. 50A.012. PUBLIC FORUM. Requires the center to provide a public forum
to disseminate research findings and recommendations and to obtain comments
from certain  entities. 

Sec. 50A.013. ATMOSPHERE MODIFICATION RESEARCH CENTER FUND. (a) Provides
that the atmosphere modification research center fund is created as a trust
fund with the comptroller and is required to be administered by the
department as a trustee on behalf of the center. Provides that the fund is
composed of certain funds. 

(b) Authorizes money in the atmosphere modification research center fund to
be used only to finance atmosphere modification research of the center. 

Sec. 50A.014. DIRECTOR; STAFF. (a) Requires the department to select a
center director from among the faculty at Texas Tech University. 

(b) Requires the center to be staffed by certain persons associated with
Texas Tech University. 
 
Sec. 50A.015. SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD. (a) Requires the department to
establish a scientific advisory board to advise the center on certain
criteria. 

(b) Requires the board to establish and review metric's to assess the
effectiveness of the center's research projects. 

Sec. 50A.016. REPORT. Requires the center to file annually with the
department and the legislature a report detailing the center's activities,
findings, and recommended actions. 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001.