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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Global Agricultural Initiative Institute program |
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administered by the Department of Agriculture. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding |
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Chapter 50E to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 50E. GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE INSTITUTE |
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SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
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Sec. 50E.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Council" means the Global Agricultural |
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Initiative Institute Council. |
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(2) "Program" means the Global Agricultural |
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Initiative Institute program. |
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Sec. 50E.002. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER AND |
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DEPARTMENT. (a) The department shall administer this chapter and |
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may adopt rules necessary to implement this chapter. |
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(b) The commissioner may appoint or employ consultants or |
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other agents as necessary for the business of the program. |
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(c) The department may contract with any state institution |
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of higher education, state agency, domestic or foreign person, or |
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federal agency to perform services or provide facilities for the |
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council. |
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Sec. 50E.003. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. Notwithstanding any |
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other provision of this chapter, the department is not required to |
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award grants or otherwise implement this chapter and the |
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commissioner is not required to appoint council members unless the |
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department is appropriated money or accepts a gift, grant, or |
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donation for the purpose of implementing this chapter. |
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SUBCHAPTER B. GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE INSTITUTE PROGRAM |
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Sec. 50E.051. PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. The department may |
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establish the program to enhance and create developing |
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technologies, recruit businesses to this state, and enhance and |
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create markets to advance and promote the sale of Texas |
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agricultural products and services worldwide. |
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Sec. 50E.052. AWARD OF GRANTS. The department may award |
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grants to further the purposes of the program. The use of grant |
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money is restricted by the terms of the grant. |
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Sec. 50E.053. PROGRAM ACCOUNT. (a) The Global |
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Agricultural Initiative Institute account is an account in the |
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general revenue fund. The account is composed of: |
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(1) legislative appropriations; |
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(2) gifts, grants, and donations received under |
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Section 50E.054; and |
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(3) other money required by law to be deposited in the |
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account. |
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(b) Money in the account may be appropriated only to the |
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department for the purpose of the program. |
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(c) Income from money in the account shall be credited to |
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the account. |
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(d) The account is exempt from the application of Section |
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403.095, Government Code. |
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(e) The department may transfer to the account money from |
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another account or fund administered by the department to the |
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extent that money may be used for the purposes of this chapter. |
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(f) To the extent provided by legislative appropriation, |
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the department may carry forward money in the account from the first |
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fiscal year of a biennium to the second year and may carry forward |
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the unexpended balance of the account from one fiscal biennium to |
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the next. |
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Sec. 50E.054. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The council |
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and the department may solicit, accept, and use gifts, grants, and |
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donations from public and private sources for the purposes of this |
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chapter, subject only to limitations contained in the gifts, |
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grants, or donations. |
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SUBCHAPTER C. GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE INSTITUTE COUNCIL |
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Sec. 50E.101. MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS. (a) The council is |
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composed of: |
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(1) the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, |
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who is the chair of the council; and |
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(2) one representative of each of the following, |
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appointed by the commissioner: |
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(A) Texas A&M University; |
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(B) The University of Texas at Austin; |
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(C) Texas Tech University; |
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(D) the agriculture marketing industry; |
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(E) international agricultural financing |
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businesses; |
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(F) the livestock industry in this state; |
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(G) the crop production industry in this state; |
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(H) international trade; and |
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(I) humanitarian interests. |
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(b) Members appointed under Subsection (a)(2) serve |
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staggered six-year terms, with as near as possible to one-third of |
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the members' terms expiring on February 1 of each odd-numbered |
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year. |
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(c) Membership on the council by a state officer or employee |
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is an additional duty of the officer's or employee's employment. |
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Sec. 50E.102. DUTIES OF COUNCIL. (a) The council shall |
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advise the department in the administration of the program. |
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(b) The council shall select the recipients of any grants |
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awarded under the program. |
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(c) The council may conduct surveys, research, or |
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investigations for the purposes of the program. |
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Sec. 50E.103. MEETINGS. The council shall meet at least |
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once each year at the call of the chair. |
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Sec. 50E.104. EXPENSES. A member of the council is not |
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entitled to compensation for service on the council or |
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reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while |
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conducting council business. |
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Sec. 50E.105. STAFF AND RESOURCES. The commissioner shall |
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provide the council with necessary staff and resources to perform |
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the council's duties under this chapter, as determined by the |
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commissioner. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |