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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to transferring the Office of Rural Community Affairs to |
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the Department of Agriculture and abolishing the board of the |
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office. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 487.001, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 487.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Board" means the Department of Agriculture [board
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of the Office of Rural Community Affairs]. |
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(2) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of |
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agriculture. |
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(3) "Department" means the Department of Agriculture. |
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(4) "Office" means the Office of Rural Community |
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Affairs within the department. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 487, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 487.003 and 487.004 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 487.003. OFFICE OF RURAL COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. The |
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Office of Rural Community Affairs is established within the |
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department. |
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Sec. 487.004. REFERENCE IN LAW. A reference in this chapter |
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or other law to the board of the Office of Rural Community Affairs |
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means the commissioner. |
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SECTION 3. The following laws are repealed: |
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(1) Sections 487.002, 487.021, 487.022, 487.023, |
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487.024, 487.025, 487.029, 487.058, and 487.352, Government Code; |
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and |
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(2) Section 487.051(b), Government Code, as added by |
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Chapter 1241 (H.B. 2542), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2007. |
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SECTION 4. (a) The Office of Rural Community Affairs is |
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abolished as an independent agency and created as a program in the |
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Department of Agriculture. The board of the Office of Rural |
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Community Affairs is abolished. |
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(b) The validity of an action taken by the Office of Rural |
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Community Affairs or its board before either is abolished under |
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Subsection (a) of this section is not affected by the abolishment. |
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SECTION 5. On September 1, 2009: |
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(1) the executive director of the Office of Rural |
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Community Affairs becomes the executive director of the Office of |
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Rural Community Affairs in the Department of Agriculture; |
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(2) an employee of the Office of Rural Community |
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Affairs becomes an employee of the Office of Rural Community |
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Affairs in the Department of Agriculture; |
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(3) a reference in law to the Office of Rural Community |
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Affairs means the Office of Rural Community Affairs in the |
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Department of Agriculture; |
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(4) all money, contracts, leases, rights, and |
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obligations of the Office of Rural Community Affairs are |
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transferred to the Office of Rural Community Affairs in the |
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Department of Agriculture; |
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(5) all property, including records, in the custody of |
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the Office of Rural Community Affairs becomes the property of the |
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Office of Rural Community Affairs in the Department of Agriculture; |
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and |
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(6) all funds appropriated by the legislature to the |
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Office of Rural Community Affairs are transferred to the Office of |
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Rural Community Affairs in the Department of Agriculture. |
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SECTION 6. A function or activity performed by the Office of |
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Rural Community Affairs is transferred to the Office of Rural |
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Community Affairs in the Department of Agriculture as provided by |
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this Act. |
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SECTION 7. The Office of Rural Community Affairs and the |
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Department of Agriculture shall establish a transition plan for the |
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transfer described in Section 5 of this Act. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |