HBA-JRA C.S.H.B. 3277 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3277 By: Cook Agriculture & Livestock 4/13/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The agriculture industry is an important contributor to the economy of the entire Gulf Coast region. C.S.H.B. 3277 establishes the Agriculture and Wildlife Research and Management Advisory Committee within the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to advise the Experiment Station concerning research regarding agriculture production and its relationship to water use and wildlife habitat in the Gulf Coast region. This bill requires the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to administer the agriculture and wildlife basic research program and to solicit and create funding programs for agricultural and wildlife research. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 88, Education Code, by adding Section 88.216, as follows: Sec. 88.216. AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE; OTHER AGENCIES. (a) Provides that the Agriculture and Wildlife Research and Management Advisory Committee is an advisory committee of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. Sets forth the composition of the advisory committee. (b) Provides that the advisory committee members serve staggered two-year terms. Provides that half of the members' terms expire on February 1 of each odd-numbered year and the terms of the remaining half expire on February 1 of each even-numbered year. (c) Requires the advisory committee members to select a presiding officer for a term of two years. (d) Requires the advisory committee to meet at least twice a year. (e) Prohibits the administrative expenses of the advisory committee from exceeding 20 percent of the total amount of funds available for expenditure by the advisory committee. (f) Provides that advisory committee members are not entitled to compensation for service on the advisory committee or reimbursement for travel expenses, except that a member who represents a university or state agency is authorized to any reimbursements for travel expenses to which the member is otherwise entitled from the university or agency. (g) Requires the advisory committee to assist the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in conducting agriculture and wildlife research; encourage communication with other states that are interested in agriculture, wildlife, and water issues; and establish a plan for more efficient management of water resources related to wildlife habitats and agriculture production in the Gulf Coast Region. (h) Requires the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to administer the agriculture and wildlife basic research program; solicit and create funding programs for agricultural and wildlife research; engage in activities designed to maximize funding from the federal government for agriculture and wildlife research and management; and, with the advise of the advisory committee, plan a program of research regarding agricultural production and its relationship with water use and wildlife habitats. (i) Requires the Texas Agricultural Extension Service to provide educational programs relating to agriculture production, water use and wildlife habitats, and conduct public awareness programs relating to the interaction of agriculture production, water use and wildlife habitats through the use of mass communications media, publications, demonstrations, and other means of public education. SECTION 2. Amends Title 3, Agriculture Code, as follows: CHAPTER 46. AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH PROGRAM Sec. 46.001. PROGRAM. Requires the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, in consultation with the advisory committee, to develop and administer a program to finance agriculture and wildlife research that the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station determines to be of the highest scientific merit and to offer significant promise in providing new directions for long-term solution to continued agriculture production, water availability and wildlife habitat availability. Sec. 46.002. TERM OF AWARD. Provides that an award under such a program must be granted for a two-year period and authorizes it to be extended after review by the advisory committee at the end of that period. Sec. 46.003. FUNDS. Authorizes the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or private source, in addition to other appropriations, and provides that the use of the gift or grant is subject to any limitations contained in the gift or grant. Sec. 46.004. ANNUAL ACCOUNTING. Requires the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to provide to the committee in each house of the legislature having jurisdiction over agricultural matters an annual accounting of all money received, awarded, and expended during the year. SECTION 3. Requires the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, by July 1, 2001, to present to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chair of the committee responsible for agriculture matters in each house of the legislature a report prepared with the assistance, advice, and approval of the advisory committee containing specific information, including the results of research, benefits that might be achieved through current and future research, cost estimates associated with changes in agriculture production and research, and recommendations for future research. SECTION 4.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute modifies the original in the caption to delete the reference to the Gulf Coast Region. The substitute modifies the original to conform to Legislative Council format. The substitute modifies the original in SECTION 1 by deleting the provision that authorizes a member of the Agriculture and Wildlife Research and Management Advisory Committee to serve more than one term; requiring the members to select a presiding officer, rather than elect a member to serve as presiding officer; deleting the provision that authorizes the committee to adopt rules for its internal procedures; requiring the advisory committee to assist, rather than advise, assist, and direct, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station; deleting the requirement that the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station distribute funding programs; and making nonsubstantive and conforming changes. The substitute modifies the original in SECTION 2 by adding Chapter 46 (Agriculture and Wildlife Research Program), Agriculture Code, and creating Sections 46.001-46.004, rather than creating subsections of Section 46.001. The substitute requires the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, rather than the advisory committee, in consultation with the advisory committee, to develop and administer, rather than oversee, a program to finance agriculture and wildlife research that the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, rather than the advisory committee, determines to be of the highest scientific merit. The substitute authorizes the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to solicit gifts and grants from any public or private source. The substitute also deletes the provision that authorizes the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station to adopt rules necessary for the implementation and administration of the award program. The substitute modifies the original in SECTION 3 to make a nonsubstantive change concerning the report to be prepared by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.