HBA-JRA H.B. 2631 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2631
By: Turner, Sylvester
Agriculture & Livestock
3/23/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Some public schools include the study of agriculture in their curriculum.
Demonstrations and handson participation may be an effective supplement to
textbooks and lectures in teaching public school children about
agriculture.  H.B. 2631 requires the Texas Department of Agriculture to
develop a program to award grants to large urban public schools to
establish demonstration agricultural projects. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Department of Agriculture in
SECTION 1 (Section 46.001, Agriculture Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Title 3, Agriculture Code, by adding Chapter 46, as
follows: 

CHAPTER 46.  AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS IN CERTAIN URBAN SCHOOLS

Sec. 46.001.  CREATION.  Requires the Department of Agriculture
(department), by rule, to develop a program to award grants to public
schools located in large urban school districts for the purpose of
establishing demonstration agricultural projects. 

Sec. 46.002.  ELIGIBILITY.  Provides that a public school is eligible to
receive a grant if it is in a municipality with a population of at least
one million, in a school district with an enrollment of at least 60,000
students, and timely submits a proposal for a demonstration agricultural
project that includes a description of the project, a schedule of projected
costs, and a statement of the educational benefits of the project,
including how the project will improve understanding of agriculture. 

Sec. 46.003.  LIMIT.  Prohibits a grant awarded to a school under this
chapter from exceeding $2,500. 

Sec. 46.004.  REPORT.  Provides that a school that receives a grant under
this chapter must report the results of the project to the department in a
manner determined by the department. 

Sec. 46.005.  FUNDS.  Authorizes the department to solicit and accept
gifts, grants, and other donations from any source to carry out this
chapter. 

SECTION 2.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.