By: Wentworth S.B. No. 1700
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the administration of the weather modification and
control grant program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 20.001, Agriculture Code, as added by
Chapter 376, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 20.001. FINDINGS. The legislature finds that weather
modification and control activities may have a significant impact
on Texas agriculture. The legislature further finds that the Texas
Department of Licensing and Regulation [Agriculture] is the proper
state agency to administer grants to political subdivisions for
weather modification and control activities.
SECTION 2. Section 20.002, Agriculture Code, as added by
Chapter 376, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 20.002. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this chapter:
(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
Licensing and Regulation.
(2) "Weather[, "weather] modification and control"
means changing or controlling, or attempting to change or control,
by artificial methods the natural development of atmospheric cloud
forms or precipitation forms that occur in the troposphere.
SECTION 3. On the effective date of this Act, in accordance
with the General Appropriations Act enacted by the 78th
Legislature:
(1) all powers, duties, obligations, rights, and
contracts of the Department of Agriculture associated with the
weather modification and control grant program are transferred to
the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation;
(2) all authority to fill full-time equivalent
positions to administer the weather modification and control grant
program and all unspent and unobligated appropriations to and other
money held by the Department of Agriculture in connection with the
program are transferred to the Texas Department of Licensing and
Regulation; and
(3) all files, records, equipment, and other property
of the Department of Agriculture that are used by that agency in
connection with the administration of the weather modification and
control grant program become the property of the Texas Department
of Licensing and Regulation, but remain in the same location unless
moved in accordance with the memorandum of understanding adopted
under Section 4 of this Act.
SECTION 4. The Department of Agriculture and the Texas
Department of Licensing and Regulation shall adopt a memorandum of
understanding not later than the 30th day after the effective date
of this Act that provides for the transfer, by that date, of any
files, records, equipment, property, and personnel necessary to
accomplish the transfer of the weather modification and control
grant program from the Department of Agriculture to the Texas
Department of Licensing and Regulation.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.