By Solis, Swinford, Flores, Coleman                   H.B. No. 1086
         77R4006 BDH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a grant program to provide surplus agricultural
 1-3     products to organizations that serve needy or low-income
 1-4     individuals.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Title 2, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
 1-7     Chapter 20 to read as follows:
 1-8           CHAPTER 20.  GRANT PROGRAM FOR DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS
 1-9                            AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
1-10           Sec. 20.001.  CREATION.  The department by rule shall develop
1-11     a program to award grants to nonprofit organizations for the
1-12     purpose of collecting and distributing surplus agricultural
1-13     products to food banks and other charitable organizations that
1-14     serve needy or low-income individuals.
1-15           Sec. 20.002.  ELIGIBILITY.  Subject to available funds, a
1-16     nonprofit organization is eligible to receive a grant under this
1-17     chapter if the organization:
1-18                 (1)  has at least five years of experience coordinating
1-19     a statewide network of food banks and charitable organizations that
1-20     serve each county of this state;
1-21                 (2)  operates a program that coordinates the collection
1-22     and transportation of surplus agricultural products to a statewide
1-23     network of food banks that provide food to needy or low-income
1-24     individuals; and
 2-1                 (3)  submits to the department, in the manner and time
 2-2     prescribed by the department, a proposal for the collection and
 2-3     distribution to food banks or other charitable organizations for
 2-4     use in providing food to needy or low-income individuals of surplus
 2-5     agricultural products, including:
 2-6                       (A)  a description of the proposal;
 2-7                       (B)  a schedule of projected costs for the
 2-8     proposal;
 2-9                       (C)  measurable goals for the proposal; and
2-10                       (D)  a plan for evaluating the success of the
2-11     proposal.
2-12           Sec. 20.003.  REPORT.  A nonprofit organization that receives
2-13     a grant under this chapter must report the results of the project
2-14     to the department in the manner prescribed by the department.
2-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-16     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-17     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-18     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-19     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.