86R11095 SRA-D

By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 949

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the game animal meat safety task force.

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

SECTION 1. GAME ANIMAL MEAT SAFETY TASK FORCE. (a) In this section, "task force" means the game animal meat safety task force.

(b) The task force is composed of the following nine members:

(1) the chair of the House Public Health Committee or its successor;

(2) the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee or its successor;

(3) the chairs of the committees of the house and senate with primary jurisdiction over parks and wildlife;

(4) the chairs of the committees of the house and senate with primary jurisdiction over agriculture; and

(5) three members of the public who have demonstrated sufficient knowledge of game animal meat safety, appointed as follows:

(A) one member appointed by the governor;

(B) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor; and

(C) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(c) The chairs of the house and senate committees with primary jurisdiction over agriculture shall serve as co-presiding officers of the task force.

(d) The task force shall:

(1) study and examine trends in the commercially raised game meat industry in this state, including the regulations of and protections required for game meat, and the differences in the inspection of game meats compared to the inspection of traditional meats, including beef, pork, and poultry; and

(2) develop a short-term and a long-term commercially raised game animal food safety plan to strengthen protections for commercially raised native and nonnative wildlife game animals.

(e) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for the services provided as a task force member. Subject to the availability of funds, a task force member is entitled to reimbursement for the member's actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force duties.

(f) The task force shall meet at the call of one of the co-presiding officers and may hold additional meetings as necessary by telephone conference call, videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method.

(g) The task force shall hold at least three public hearings in locations selected by the task force to provide interested persons an opportunity to appear and speak on any subject relating to the powers and duties of the task force.

(h) Not later than December 1, 2020, the task force must submit the short-term and the long-term commercially raised game animal food safety plan to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives.

(i) The task force is abolished and this Act expires January 1, 2021.

(j) Not later than December 1, 2019, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint the members of the task force created under this section.

SECTION 2. 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, 2019.