Honorable Tracy O. King, Chair, House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3664 by King, Tracy O. (Relating to the establishment of a program for marketing, promotion, research, and education efforts regarding Texas wine; authorizing assessments.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Texas Agriculture Code, Chapter 41 by adding Subchapter J, creating a Texas Wine Marketing, Promotion, Research, and Education program. The bill would identify the Texas Wine Foundation as the certified organization to plan, implement, and operate the program, and would allow the Foundation to petition the Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) for the election of a Commodity Producers Board. The bill would allow the Board to establish, and the Foundation to operate, a state wine check off program separate from any wine check off program established by federal law, and would allow the Foundation to accept gifts, donations, and grants of money, including appropriated funds. The bill would allow the Commissioner, on the recommendation of the Foundation, to propose a maximum assessment amount on vineyard growers and wineries in a referendum, with certain rules defined concerning the referendum. Under the provisions of the bill, the assessments would not be state funds and would not be deposited to the treasury. The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
TDA estimates that administrative costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 551 Department of Agriculture