BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2743

By: Kleinschmidt

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the structural pest control advisory committee has members involved in the business of pest control as trainers but that few members are practitioners subject to regulation by the Department of Agriculture.  The parties assert that increasing the number of committee members who are in the business of pest control will improve the quality of guidance the committee provides to the commissioner of agriculture and department staff.  H.B. 2743 seeks to address this issue by providing for changes in statutes relating to membership of the structural pest control advisory committee.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2743 amends the Occupations Code to change the composition of the structural pest control advisory committee by removing two members who are experts in structural pest control application, one member who is from an institution of higher education and who is knowledgeable in the science of pests and pest control, one member who represents the interests of consumers, and the commissioner of state health services or the commissioner's designee. The bill increases from one to three the number of committee members who represent the interests of structural pest control operators and who are appointed based on recommendations provided by a trade association of operators. The bill adds three members who represent the interests of pest control operators involved in school integrated pest management. The bill makes conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.