Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1580 by Flynn (Relating to the continuation and functions of the board of directors of the official cotton growers' boll weevil eradication foundation and the management of certain cotton in pest management zones.), As Passed 2nd House
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would continue the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation until September 1, 2021. The bill would provide the Foundation the authority to transfer the proceeds from the collection of assessments in one eradication zone to another eradication zone subject to the approval of the Board and the Commissioner of Agriculture.
The bill would require the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation to conduct a study of the effects of incomplete stalk destruction and volunteer cotton control on boll weevil eradication activities, and submit recommendations for a cotton stalk destruction deadline for each pest management zone to the Department of Agriculture (TDA). The bill would require TDA to set a cotton stalk destruction deadline for each pest management zone based on the foundation’s recommendations. The bill would require TDA to establish and collect a hostable cotton fee for fields in which hostable cotton stalks, hostable volunteer cotton, or other hostable noncommercial cotton remains past the stalk destruction deadline for the applicable pest management zone. All hostable cotton fees would be deposited in an account established for the treatment of cotton until the cotton is rendered nonhostable and for other expenses incident to boll weevil eradication.
This legislation would do one or more of the following: create or recreate a dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund, create or recreate a special or trust fund either with or outside of the Treasury, or create a dedicated revenue source. The fund, account, or revenue dedication included in this bill would be subject to funds consolidation review by the current Legislature.
Revenue would be generated by the bill, but the Comptroller of Public Accounts indicates that this amount cannot be determined.
The Department of Agriculture indicates that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house; otherwise it would take effect September 1, 2009.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
116 Sunset Advisory Commission, 551 Department of Agriculture