By:  Wentworth                                                    S.B. No. 1700
	(In the Senate - Filed March 14, 2003; March 20, 2003, read 
first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources; 
April 25, 2003, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 
Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 25, 2003, 
sent to printer.)


COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1700                                   By:  Barrientos


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.



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