BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 772

By: Uresti

Agriculture & Livestock

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires a number of governmental entities to submit various reports. Interested parties contend that some reports are duplicative or obsolete due to consolidation of agency functions or the modification or abolishment of programs or funds. Recent legislation required the executive director of each state agency to examine certain statutory reporting requirements and identify reports that are determined to be unnecessary, redundant, or required to be provided at a frequency for which data is not available. The purpose of S.B. 772 is to address this issue by establishing provisions relating to the elimination of obsolete and redundant reporting requirements for the Department of Agriculture in order to allow greater resources to be dedicated to relevant reporting requirements and direct customer service to Texans.

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

S.B. 772 amends the Agriculture Code to remove provisions requiring copies of the annual budget of the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority certified by the chairman of the authority's board of directors to be filed with the governor and the legislature, prohibiting the annual budget from taking effect until it is filed, and requiring an amended annual budget for a current fiscal year to be filed with the governor and the legislature before it may supersede a prior budget. The bill removes the requirement that a copy of the annual audit of the authority's books and accounts be filed with the governor and the legislature and the requirement that the authority file copies of its annual report of its activities for the preceding fiscal year with the governor and the legislature.

S.B. 772 amends the Government Code to remove the requirement on the Office of Rural Affairs to compile an annual report describing and evaluating the condition of rural communities. The bill includes in the commissioner of agriculture's biennial report to the legislature on the findings of the Texas Rural Health and Economic Development Advisory Council the activities of the Texas Rural Foundation.

S.B. 772 repeals specified Agriculture Code provisions and Government Code provisions relating to the following:

·         an annual Department of Agriculture (TDA) and Health and Human Services Commission report concerning the special nutrition program to distribute to certain participants of the W.I.C. program food coupons that are redeemable only at farmers markets located in areas in which the program is implemented

·         a biennial TDA report to the governor of transactions under provisions relating to citrus marketing agreements and licenses, a monthly TDA report to the comptroller of public accounts of all money received under such provisions, and a requirement that the comptroller deposit such money in the state treasury  

·         a biennial Office of Rural Affairs report to the legislature regarding the activities of the office, the activities of the Texas Rural Foundation, and any findings and recommendations relating to rural issues

·         a biennial office report to the legislature detailing the grant activities of the community telecommunications alliance program and grant recipients

S.B. 772 repeals the following provisions:

·         Section 15.006, Agriculture Code

·         Sections 102.167(e) and (f), Agriculture Code

·         Section 487.056, Government Code

·         Section 487.653, Government Code

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.