1-1     By:  Ellis                                             S.B. No. 701
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 14, 2001; February 15, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources;
 1-4     February 21, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas
 1-5     5, Nays 0; February 21, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to agricultural projects in certain urban schools.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Section 46.001, Agriculture Code, as added by
1-11     Chapter 975, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999,
1-12     is amended to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 46.001.  CREATION.  Consistent with this chapter, the
1-14     department by rule shall develop a program to award grants to
1-15     public elementary schools located in large urban school districts
1-16     for the purpose of establishing:
1-17                 (1)  demonstration agricultural projects; or
1-18                 (2)  other projects designed to foster an understanding
1-19     and awareness of agriculture.
1-20           SECTION 2.  Section 46.002, Agriculture Code, as added by
1-21     Chapter 975, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999,
1-22     is amended to read as follows:
1-23           Sec. 46.002.  ELIGIBILITY.  Subject to available funds, a
1-24     public elementary school is eligible to receive a grant under this
1-25     chapter if the school:
1-26                 (1)  is located in a school district with an enrollment
1-27     of at least 49,000 students [, except that if more than $25,000 is
1-28     appropriated for the purposes of this chapter, a school is eligible
1-29     if it is located in a school district with an enrollment of at
1-30     least 45,000 students]; and
1-31                 (2)  submits to the department, at the time and in the
1-32     form required by the department, a proposal for a demonstration
1-33     agricultural project that includes:
1-34                       (A)  a description of the proposed project;
1-35                       (B)  a schedule of projected costs for the
1-36     project; and
1-37                       (C)  a statement of the educational benefits of
1-38     the project, including how the project will improve understanding
1-39     of agriculture.
1-40           SECTION 3.  Section 46.003, Agriculture Code, as added by
1-41     Chapter 975, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999,
1-42     is amended to read as follows:
1-43           Sec. 46.003.  LIMITS.  [(a)]  The department may not award
1-44     more than $2,500 to a school under this chapter in a school year.
1-45           [(b) The department may not award a grant to more than one
1-46     school within the same school district in a school year.]
1-47           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-48     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-49     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-50     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-51     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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