|
SECTION 1. Title 3,
Agriculture Code, is amended by adding Chapter 50E to read as follows:
CHAPTER 50E. GLOBAL
AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE INSTITUTE
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL
PROVISIONS
Sec. 50E.001.
DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Council" means the Global
Agricultural Initiative Institute Council.
(2) "Program"
means the Global Agricultural Initiative
Institute program.
Sec. 50E.002. POWERS AND DUTIES
OF COMMISSIONER AND DEPARTMENT. (a) The department shall administer this
chapter and may adopt rules necessary to implement this chapter.
(b) The commissioner may
appoint or employ consultants or other agents as necessary for the business
of the program.
(c) The department may
contract with any state institution of higher education, state agency,
domestic or foreign person, or federal agency to perform services or
provide facilities for the council.
Sec. 50E.003.
AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
chapter, the department is not required to award
grants or otherwise implement this chapter and the commissioner is
not required to appoint council
members unless the department is
appropriated money or accepts a gift, grant, or donation for the
purpose of implementing this chapter.
SUBCHAPTER B. GLOBAL
AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE INSTITUTE PROGRAM
Sec. 50E.051. PROGRAM
ESTABLISHED. The department may establish the program to enhance and
create developing technologies, recruit businesses to this state, and
enhance and create markets to advance and promote the sale of Texas
agricultural products and services worldwide.
Sec. 50E.052. AWARD OF
GRANTS. The department may award grants to further the purposes of the
program. The use of grant money is
restricted by the terms of the grant.
Sec. 50E.053. PROGRAM
ACCOUNT. (a) The Global Agricultural Initiative
Institute account is an account in the general revenue fund. The account
is composed of:
(1) legislative appropriations;
(2) gifts, grants, and
donations received under Section 50E.054; and
(3) other money required
by law to be deposited in the account.
(b) Money in the account
may be appropriated only to the department for the purpose of the program.
(c) Income from money in
the account shall be credited to the account.
(d) The account is exempt
from the application of Section 403.095, Government Code.
(e) The department may transfer to the account money from another
account or fund administered by the department to the extent that money may
be used for the purposes of this chapter.
(f) To the extent provided by legislative appropriation, the
department may carry forward money in the account from the first fiscal
year of a biennium to the second year and may carry forward the unexpended
balance of the account from one fiscal biennium to the next.
Sec. 50E.054. GIFTS,
GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The council
and the department may solicit, accept, and use gifts, grants, and
donations from public and private sources for the purposes of this chapter,
subject only to limitations contained in the gifts, grants, or donations.
SUBCHAPTER C. GLOBAL
AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE INSTITUTE COUNCIL
Sec. 50E.101. MEMBERSHIP
AND TERMS. (a) The council is
composed of:
(1) the commissioner or
the commissioner's designee, who is the
chair of the council; and
(2) one representative of
each of the following, appointed by the commissioner:
(A) Texas A&M
University;
(B) The University of
Texas at Austin;
(C) Texas Tech University;
(D) the agriculture
marketing industry;
(E) international
agricultural financing businesses;
(F) the livestock
industry in this state;
(G) the crop production
industry in this state;
(H) international trade;
and
(I) humanitarian
interests.
(b) Members appointed
under Subsection (a)(2) serve staggered six-year terms, with as near as
possible to one-third of the members' terms expiring on February 1 of each
odd-numbered year.
(c) Membership on the council by a state officer or employee is
an additional duty of the officer's or employee's employment.
Sec. 50E.102. DUTIES OF
COUNCIL. (a) The council shall
advise the department in the administration of the program.
(b) The council shall select the recipients of any grants awarded under the program.
(c) The council may conduct surveys, research, or
investigations for the purposes of the program.
Sec. 50E.103. MEETINGS.
The council shall meet at least once each year at the call of the chair.
Sec. 50E.104. EXPENSES.
A member of the council is not
entitled to compensation for service on the council
or reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while
conducting council business.
Sec. 50E.105. STAFF AND
RESOURCES. The commissioner shall provide the council with necessary staff and resources to perform the council's duties under this chapter, as
determined by the commissioner.
|
SECTION 1. Title 3,
Agriculture Code, is amended by adding Chapter 50E to read as follows:
CHAPTER 50E. GLOBAL
AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION INSTITUTE
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL
PROVISIONS
Sec. 50E.001.
DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Board" means the Global
Agricultural Innovation Institute Board.
(2) "Program"
means the Global Agricultural Innovation
Institute program.
Sec. 50E.002. POWERS AND
DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER AND DEPARTMENT. (a) The department shall
administer this chapter and may adopt rules necessary to implement this
chapter.
(b) The commissioner may
appoint or employ consultants or other agents as necessary for the business
of the program.
(c) The department may
contract with any state institution of higher education, state agency,
domestic or foreign person, or federal agency to perform services or
provide facilities for the board.
Sec. 50E.003.
AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
chapter, the department is not required to grant
awards or otherwise implement this chapter and the commissioner is
not required to appoint board
members unless the department accepts a gift, grant, or donation of money or real or personal property for
the purpose of implementing this chapter.
SUBCHAPTER B. GLOBAL
AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION INSTITUTE PROGRAM
Sec. 50E.051. PROGRAM
ESTABLISHED. The department may establish the program to enhance and
create developing technologies, recruit businesses to this state, develop businesses in this state, and
enhance and create markets to advance and promote the sale of Texas
agricultural products and services worldwide.
Sec. 50E.052. AWARDS.
The department may award grants of money
from the Global Agricultural Innovation Institute account and real or
personal property held outside the account to further the purposes
of the program. The use of the award
is restricted by the terms of the award.
The department may use only money or
property received under Section 50E.054 to grant an award under this
chapter.
Sec. 50E.053. PROGRAM
ACCOUNT. (a) The Global Agricultural Innovation
Institute account is an account in the general revenue fund. The account
is composed of:
(1) gifts, grants, and
donations of money received under
Section 50E.054; and
(2) other money required
by law to be deposited in the account.
(b) Money in the account
may be appropriated only to the department for the purpose of the program.
(c) Income from money in
the account shall be credited to the account.
(d) The account is exempt
from the application of Section 403.095, Government Code.
Sec. 50E.054. GIFTS,
GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The board
and the department may solicit, accept, and use gifts, grants, and
donations of money or real or personal
property from public and private sources for the purposes of this
chapter, subject only to limitations contained in the gifts, grants, or
donations.
SUBCHAPTER C. GLOBAL
AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION INSTITUTE BOARD
Sec. 50E.101. MEMBERSHIP
AND TERMS. (a) The board is
composed of:
(1) the commissioner or
the commissioner's designee;
(2) one representative of
each of the following, appointed by the commissioner:
(A) The Texas A&M
University System;
(B) The University of
Texas System;
(C) the Texas Tech
University System;
(D) the Texas State University System;
(E) the University of Houston System;
(F) the University of North Texas System;
(G) independent institutions of higher education in this state;
(H) private institutions of higher education in this state;
(I) the agriculture
marketing industry;
(J) international
agricultural financing businesses;
(K) the livestock
industry in this state;
(L) the crop production
industry in this state;
(M) international trade;
(N) the horticultural industry in this state; and
(O) humanitarian
interests; and
(3) at least four additional at-large members appointed by the
commissioner who represent diverse sectors of the agricultural industry.
(b) Members appointed
under Subsections (a)(2) and (3)
serve staggered six-year terms, with as near as possible to one-third of
the members' terms expiring on February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
(c) The board members shall nominate and elect a board member as
chair. The chair serves a one-year term. A person who has served as chair
for three consecutive terms is not eligible for reelection as chair until
the third anniversary of the date the person last served as chair.
(d) Membership on the board by a state officer or employee is an
additional duty of the officer's or employee's employment.
(e) A board member is not a state officer for purposes of Section
572.021, Government Code, solely because of the member's service on the board.
Board members otherwise required to comply with Section 572.021, Government
Code, are not exempt from that requirement as a result of service on the
board.
Sec. 50E.102. DUTIES OF
BOARD. (a) The board shall advise
the department in the administration of the program.
(b) The board shall select the recipients of and grant all awards, contracts, and partnerships
related to the program.
(c) The board may conduct surveys, research, or
investigations for the purposes of the program.
Sec. 50E.103. MEETINGS.
(a) The board shall meet at least twice each year at the call of the chair.
(b) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, the board may
hold an open or closed meeting by telephone conference call if immediate
action is required and the convening at one location of a quorum of the
board is inconvenient for any member of the board.
(c) The meeting held by telephone conference call is subject to
the notice requirements applicable to other meetings.
(d) The notice of a meeting held by telephone conference call must
specify as the location of the meeting the location where meetings of the
board are usually held.
(e) Each part of a meeting held by telephone conference call that
is required to be open to the public shall be audible to the public at the
location specified in the notice of the meeting as the location of the
meeting and shall be recorded.
Sec. 50E.104.
COMPENSATION. (a) A member of the board
is not entitled to compensation for service on the board.
(b) A member of the board is entitled to reimbursement for
travel expenses incurred by the member while conducting board business.
Sec. 50E.105. STAFF AND
RESOURCES. (a) The commissioner shall provide the board with necessary staff and resources to perform the board's duties under this chapter, as
determined by the commissioner during the
state fiscal biennium in which the board is established and during the next
state fiscal biennium.
(b) The board shall hire through an application and interview
process a chief executive officer. The board shall determine the duties of
the chief executive officer.
(c) After the period described by Subsection (a), the chief
executive officer shall employ staff necessary to implement the program,
shall have sole authority to employ and terminate employees, and may
appoint or employ consultants, professionals, or other agents necessary to
conduct the business of the program.
|