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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of an agriculture disaster relief |
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grant program; making an appropriation. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 2, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding |
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Chapter 22 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 22. AGRICULTURE DISASTER RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 22.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Category D2 drought" means a severe drought as |
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defined by the United States Drought Monitor. |
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(2) "Category D3 drought" means an extreme drought as |
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defined by the United States Drought Monitor. |
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(3) "Program" means the agriculture disaster relief |
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grant program established by this chapter. |
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Sec. 22.002. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The |
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department shall establish the agriculture disaster relief grant |
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program to provide block grant disaster relief funding to |
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applicants for necessary expenses related to losses of revenue by |
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cotton infrastructure as a consequence of natural disasters |
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involving drought for the 2022 or 2023 crop year. |
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(b) The department shall adopt rules to implement and |
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administer the program. |
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Sec. 22.003. GRANT PROGRAM FUND. (a) The agriculture |
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disaster relief grant program fund is an account in the general |
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revenue fund. The fund is composed of: |
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(1) money appropriated to the department for deposit |
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to the credit of the fund; |
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(2) money transferred by the department to the credit |
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of the fund from other sources available to the department; and |
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(3) gifts, grants, and donations made to the |
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department for the purpose of the fund. |
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(b) The fund may be used only by the department to award |
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grants under the program. |
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Sec. 22.004. ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT PROGRAM. (a) To be |
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eligible to receive a grant under the program, an applicant must |
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meet the eligibility requirements established by department rule |
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and show that: |
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(1) the grant will be used to support agricultural |
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supply chain resiliency; |
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(2) the land for which the grant will be used is |
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located in a county identified by the United States Drought Monitor |
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as having a Category D2 drought for eight consecutive weeks or a |
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Category D3 drought at any point during the 2022 or 2023 calendar |
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year; and |
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(3) the applicant experienced a decline of at least 30 |
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percent in gross receipts or gross revenue in the 2022 or 2023 |
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calendar year as compared to the previous calendar year. |
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(b) Grants under the program may not exceed $500,000 per |
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applicant. |
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Sec. 22.005. EXPIRATION OF GRANT PROGRAM. This chapter |
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expires September 1, 2025. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules and |
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procedures required to implement and administer Chapter 22, |
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Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Section 8.73, Chapter 458 (S.B. 30), Acts of |
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the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023 (the Supplemental |
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Appropriations Act), is repealed. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, the |
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Department of Agriculture may expend amounts appropriated by former |
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Section 8.73, Chapter 458 (S.B. 30), Acts of the 88th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2023 (the Supplemental Appropriations Act), for a |
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purpose provided by the former law if the amounts were obligated for |
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that purpose before the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 4. (a) All unobligated and unexpended balances |
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remaining as of the effective date of this Act from appropriations |
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made by former Section 8.73, Chapter 458 (S.B. 30), Acts of the 88th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2023 (the Supplemental |
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Appropriations Act), are appropriated from the same source to the |
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Department of Agriculture for the two-year period beginning on the |
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effective date of this Act for the purpose of providing grants under |
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Chapter 22, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) The comptroller of public accounts shall deposit the |
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amount appropriated by Subsection (a) of this section to the credit |
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of the agriculture disaster relief grant program fund created by |
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Section 22.003, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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last day of the legislative session. |