Bill Text: TX HB2600 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Bee Pollinator Goals Task Force to develop and report on statewide pollinator goals.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-02 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2600 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB2600-Comm_Sub.html
85R26278 TSR-D | |||
By: Farrar | H.B. No. 2600 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2600: | |||
By: González of El Paso | C.S.H.B. No. 2600 |
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relating to the establishment of the Bee Pollinator Goals Task | ||
Force to develop and report on statewide pollinator goals. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 131, Agriculture Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 131.011 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 131.011. BEE POLLINATOR GOALS TASK FORCE. (a) The Bee | ||
Pollinator Goals Task Force is established to develop statewide bee | ||
pollinator goals and metrics and report on the state's progress | ||
toward those goals and metrics on a biennial basis. | ||
(b) The task force consists of members appointed by the | ||
governor who have relevant experience in agriculture, | ||
conservation, education, or local government from the following | ||
state agencies: | ||
(1) the department; | ||
(2) the Texas Animal Health Commission; | ||
(3) the Texas Education Agency; | ||
(4) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; | ||
(5) the Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service; | ||
(6) the Office of the Texas State Chemist; | ||
(7) the Department of State Health Services; | ||
(8) the General Land Office; | ||
(9) the Parks and Wildlife Department; | ||
(10) the Railroad Commission of Texas; | ||
(11) Texas A&M AgriLife Research; and | ||
(12) the Texas Apiary Inspection Service. | ||
(c) The governor shall designate a member who represents the | ||
department to be the chair of the task force. Members serve at the | ||
pleasure of the governor. | ||
(d) State agencies with members on the task force shall | ||
provide administrative support for the task force. | ||
(e) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, | ||
the task force shall submit a report to the members of the | ||
legislature on the factors contributing to the decline of the bee | ||
population in this state, including habitat loss, pesticides, | ||
diseases, and parasites, and recommend feasible initiatives that, | ||
when implemented, will stop the spread of bee-related diseases, | ||
sustain this state's bee population, and contribute toward reaching | ||
the goals and metrics developed by the task force. | ||
(f) The report under Subsection (e) must include: | ||
(1) recommendations for: | ||
(A) the research needs of this state in the field | ||
of bee pollination; | ||
(B) the establishment of statewide pollination | ||
policies; and | ||
(C) state funding to reduce the significant loss | ||
of bee pollinators in this state to help achieve statewide | ||
pollinator goals; and | ||
(2) information on: | ||
(A) interagency collaboration on pollinator | ||
protection efforts and methods to improve coordination of the | ||
policies and programs of member state agencies to maximize the | ||
benefits from those efforts; | ||
(B) ways to raise public awareness of pollinator | ||
issues; and | ||
(C) the effectiveness of state agency pollinator | ||
programs, reports, and recommendations. | ||
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the governor shall make the appointments to the Bee | ||
Pollinator Goals Task Force as described by Section 131.011, | ||
Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |