| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a study conducted by the Texas Department of |
|
|
Transportation regarding the production of and use of native seeds. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. STUDY AND REPORT. (a) In this section, "native |
|
|
plant" and "native seed" mean a plant or a seed from a plant that is |
|
|
found in, and naturally endemic to, ecosystems, sites, or regions |
|
|
in the present borders of this state, as to which the best available |
|
|
information indicates an indigenous nature precluding the plant's |
|
|
or seed's introduction or transport to this state from some other |
|
|
location by nonnatural conveyances. The terms include improved |
|
|
varieties of native seeds. Plants and seeds that do not meet the |
|
|
definition of "native plant" or "native seed" are designated as |
|
|
"nonnative." |
|
|
(b) The Texas Department of Transportation shall conduct a |
|
|
study based on a review of the use of native seed in projects |
|
|
related to land restoration and soil stabilization by the |
|
|
department and its contractors and assignees for the years 2008 |
|
|
through 2012, and shall report the department's historic use of |
|
|
native seed by geographic region or district. |
|
|
(c) In conducting the study and preparing the report, the |
|
|
Texas Department of Transportation shall consider: |
|
|
(1) geographic, regional, or district use of specific |
|
|
varieties of native seed for restoration projects administered by |
|
|
the department and its contractors or assignees; |
|
|
(2) determinations of the percentage of the |
|
|
department's restoration projects using native seed versus |
|
|
nonnative seed, including blends of native and nonnative seed, by |
|
|
geographic region or district and projects performed by the |
|
|
department and its contractors or assignees; and |
|
|
(3) methodologies and procedures that the department |
|
|
and its contractors or assignees must use to forecast the future |
|
|
needs for native seed for restoration projects by geographic |
|
|
region. |
|
|
(d) The Texas Department of Transportation shall develop |
|
|
methodologies and procedures for forecasting the department's and |
|
|
its contractors' and assignees' future needs for native seeds for |
|
|
the years 2015 through 2020. The department shall continue to |
|
|
maintain a five-year forecast for native seed restoration project |
|
|
needs. |
|
|
(e) Not later than December 1, 2014, the Texas Department of |
|
|
Transportation shall report the results of the study conducted |
|
|
under this Act to the legislature and post the forecast of future |
|
|
needs for native seeds on the department's Internet website. |
|
|
SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
|
|
1, 2013. |