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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the Bioenergy Policy Council and |
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the Bioenergy Research Committee to encourage the development of |
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cellulosic biofuels in the state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding |
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Chapter 50D to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 50D. BIOENERGY POLICY COUNCIL; RESEARCH COMMITTEE |
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Sec. 50D.001. PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is to |
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make cellulosic biofuels a significant part of the energy industry |
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by 2019. |
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Sec. 50D.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Policy council" means the Bioenergy Policy |
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Council. |
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(2) "Research committee" means the Bioenergy Research |
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Committee. |
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Sec. 50D.003. BIOENERGY POLICY COUNCIL. (a) The Bioenergy |
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Policy Council is composed of the following 16 members: |
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(1) the commissioner, who serves as the chair; |
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(2) one member of the Railroad Commission of Texas; |
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(3) one member of the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality; |
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(4) one member of the Public Utility Commission of |
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Texas; |
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(5) the chair of the Texas Water Development Board; |
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(6) the chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, |
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or the chancellor's designee; |
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(7) the chancellor of the Texas Tech University |
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System, or the chancellor's designee; |
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(8) the chancellor of The University of Texas System, |
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or the chancellor's designee; |
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(9) one member of the senate appointed by the |
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lieutenant governor; |
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(10) one member of the house of representatives |
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appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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(11) six members appointed by the governor, with each |
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of the following industries or groups of industries represented by |
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one member: |
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(A) feedstock development and production, such |
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as a seed company or an algae grower; |
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(B) energy distribution, such as an electricity |
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delivery company or a distributor of gasoline and diesel fuel; |
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(C) biomass transportation, such as a pipeline |
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company, railroad, or seaborne shipper; |
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(D) farming and feedstock production, such as a |
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producer of grain, sugar, livestock waste, or agricultural waste or |
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a nontraditional-crop farmer; |
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(E) biofuel production; and |
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(F) biofuels-based and bio-based electricity |
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generation. |
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(b) Appointed members of the policy council serve two-year |
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terms. |
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Sec. 50D.004. DUTIES OF THE POLICY COUNCIL. (a) The |
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policy council shall: |
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(1) provide a vision for unifying the state's |
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agricultural, energy, and research strengths in a successful launch |
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of a cellulosic biofuel industry; |
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(2) foster development of cellulosic-based fuels and |
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build on the Texas emerging technology fund's investments in |
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leading-edge cellulosic energy research and efforts to |
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commercialize production of algae-based biodiesel; |
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(3) pursue the creation of a fourth energy biofuels |
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research program at a university in the state and work to draw |
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federal funding that will aid the state in becoming a bioenergy |
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leader; and |
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(4) perform other advisory duties as requested by the |
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commissioner regarding the responsible development of bioenergy |
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resources in the state. |
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(b) The policy council shall meet regularly as necessary at |
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the call of the commissioner. |
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Sec. 50D.005. REIMBURSEMENT; ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. |
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(a) A member of the policy council may not receive compensation |
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for service on the council but is entitled to reimbursement of the |
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actual and necessary expenses incurred while conducting the |
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business of the council, as provided by the General Appropriations |
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Act. |
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(b) The department shall provide administrative support, |
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including staff, to the policy council. The commissioner may |
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allocate administrative support to the research committee as |
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appropriate. |
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Sec. 50D.006. BIOENERGY RESEARCH COMMITTEE. (a) The |
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Bioenergy Research Committee is composed of the following 16 |
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members: |
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(1) the commissioner, who serves as the chair; |
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(2) one member of the Railroad Commission of Texas; |
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(3) one member of the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality; |
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(4) one member of the Public Utility Commission of |
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Texas; |
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(5) the chair of the Texas Water Development Board; |
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(6) one researcher or specialist in the bioenergy |
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field from the following university systems, each appointed by the |
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chancellor of that system: |
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(A) The Texas A&M University System; |
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(B) Texas Tech University System; and |
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(C) The University of Texas System; |
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(7) one representative of the Texas Agricultural |
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Finance Authority appointed by the commissioner, to serve as a |
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nonvoting member; |
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(8) one representative of the Texas emerging |
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technology fund appointed by the governor, to serve as a nonvoting |
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member; and |
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(9) six members appointed by the governor, with each |
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of the following industries or groups of industries represented by |
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one member: |
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(A) feedstock development and production, such |
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as a seed company or an algae grower; |
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(B) energy distribution, such as an electricity |
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delivery company or a distributor of gasoline and diesel fuel; |
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(C) biomass transportation, such as a pipeline |
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company, railroad, or seaborne shipper; |
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(D) farming and feedstock production, such as a |
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producer of grain, sugar, livestock waste, or agricultural waste or |
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a nontraditional-crop farmer; |
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(E) biofuel production; and |
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(F) biofuels-based and bio-based electricity |
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generation. |
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(b) Appointed members of the research committee serve |
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two-year terms. |
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Sec. 50D.007. PURPOSES AND DUTIES OF THE RESEARCH |
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COMMITTEE. (a) The research committee is a research consortium |
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with academic research leadership and active involvement by all |
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sectors of the economy interested in biofuel development. |
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(b) The research committee shall: |
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(1) identify and research desirable biomass |
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feedstock, which may vary by geographic region and may range from |
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trees and forestry residues to perennial grasses, bioenergy forage |
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sorghum, sugarcane, and algae; |
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(2) investigate logistical challenges to the |
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planting, harvesting, and transporting of large volumes of biomass |
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and provide recommendations to the policy council that will aid in |
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overcoming barriers to the transporting, distributing, and |
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marketing of biofuel; |
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(3) provide a roadmap for the potential transition of |
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the agriculture industry in western regions to dryland bioenergy |
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crops that are not dependent on groundwater resources; |
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(4) explore regions in the state, including coastal |
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areas, that may have marginal land available for growing bioenergy |
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feedstocks; and |
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(5) perform other research duties as requested by the |
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commissioner regarding the responsible development of bioenergy |
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resources in the state. |
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(c) The research committee shall meet at the call of the |
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commissioner. |
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Sec. 50D.008. REIMBURSEMENT. A member of the research |
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committee may not receive compensation for service on the committee |
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but is entitled to reimbursement of the actual and necessary |
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expenses incurred while conducting the business of the committee, |
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as provided by the General Appropriations Act. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Appointments to the Bioenergy Policy |
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Council and the Bioenergy Research Committee under Chapter 50D, |
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Agriculture Code, as added by this Act, shall be made as soon as |
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practicable after the effective date of this Act. |
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(b) The Bioenergy Policy Council shall meet not later than |
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the 30th day after the date of the initial appointments made to the |
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council under Section 50D.003, Agriculture Code, as added by this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |