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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a game animal meat safety task force. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. GAME ANIMAL MEAT SAFETY TASK FORCE. (a) In this |
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section, "task force" means the game animal meat safety task force. |
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(b) The task force is composed of the following nine |
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members: |
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(1) the chair of the House Public Health Committee or |
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its successor; |
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(2) the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services |
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Committee or its successor; |
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(3) the chairs of the committees of the house and |
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senate with primary jurisdiction over parks and wildlife; |
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(4) the chairs of the committees of the house and |
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senate with primary jurisdiction over agriculture; and |
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(5) three members of the public who have demonstrated |
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a high level of knowledge on the issue of game animal meat safety, |
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one of whom shall be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be |
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appointed by the lieutenant governor, and one of whom shall be |
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appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. |
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(c) The chairs of the house and senate committees with |
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primary jurisdiction over agriculture shall serve as co-presiding |
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officers of the task force. |
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(d) The task force shall: |
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(1) study and examine trends in the commercially |
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raised game meat industry in this state, including the current |
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regulations and safeguards regarding game meat, and the differences |
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in the inspection of game meats compared to the inspection of |
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traditional meats, including beef, pork, and poultry; and |
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(2) develop a short-term and a long-term commercially |
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raised game animal food safety plan to strengthen safeguards for |
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commercially raised native and nonnative wildlife game animals. |
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(e) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for |
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the services provided as a task force member. Subject to |
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availability of funds, a task force member may receive |
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reimbursement for the member's actual and necessary expenses |
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incurred in performing task force duties. |
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(f) The task force shall meet at the call of one of the |
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co-presiding officers and may hold additional meetings by telephone |
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conference call if necessary. |
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(g) The task force shall hold at least three public hearings |
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in locations selected by the task force to provide interested |
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persons an opportunity to appear and speak on any subject relating |
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to the powers and duties of the task force. |
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(h) Not later than December 1, 2014, the task force must |
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submit the short-term and the long-term commercially raised game |
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animal food safety plans to the governor, lieutenant governor, and |
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speaker of the house of representatives. |
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(i) The task force is abolished and this Act expires January |
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1, 2015. |
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(j) Not later than December 1, 2013, the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives shall appoint the members of the task force created |
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under this section. |
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SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |