By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1208

(In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2013; March 12, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs, and Homeland Security; April 24, 2013, rereferred to Committee on Government Organization; April 29, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 29, 2013, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1208 By: Rodriguez

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of a regional food economy and food access task force.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. REGIONAL FOOD ECONOMY AND FOOD ACCESS TASK FORCE. (a) The regional food economy and food access task force is created to study and provide recommendations to the legislature on developing this state's regional food economy and improving access to healthy food for the people in this state.

(b) The task force consists of nine members appointed as follows:

(1) one member who is a representative of the food retail industry with experience in grocery stores, appointed by the governor;

(2) one member who is a physician with experience in public health, appointed by the commissioner of state health services;

(3) one member who is a representative of a community development financial institution, appointed by the governor;

(4) one member who is a large-scale farmer, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the lieutenant governor;

(5) one member who is a small-scale farmer, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture, with experience in farmers markets, appointed by the lieutenant governor;

(6) one member who is a representative of a food bank, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(7) one member who is a representative of a regional food advocacy group, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(8) one representative of the Texas Department of Agriculture, appointed by the commissioner of agriculture; and

(9) one representative of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, appointed by the chancellor of The Texas A&M University System.

(c) The representative of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service serves as the presiding officer of the task force.

(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation or reimbursement of expenses.

(e) The task force shall:

(1) examine the following food economy goals:

(A) creating and retaining family-wage jobs;

(B) expanding export and local markets for regional products;

(C) developing regional public-private partnerships and leveraging existing public-private partnership efforts; and

(D) improving access to healthy food and food security, protecting natural resources, and enhancing community connections; and

(2) develop recommendations for legislation and state agency programming that will improve this state's regional food economy and improve access to healthy food for the people in this state.

(f) The task force shall meet not later than the 30th day after the date the last initial appointment is made. The task force shall meet regularly as necessary at the call of the presiding officer.

(g) Not later than September 1, 2014, the task force shall:

(1) submit to the legislature a report outlining legislative recommendations and recommendations for state agency programming; and

(2) provide a presentation on the task force's recommendations to the standing committee of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over economic development.

SECTION 2. EXPIRATION. The task force established under this Act is abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2015.

SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

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