HBA-BSM H.B. 634 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 634 By: Turner, Sylvester Agriculture & Livestock 2/26/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the Department of Agriculture is required to develop a program to award grants to urban public elementary schools for demonstration-based agriculture projects. The existing statute is restrictive with respect to the projects and schools that are eligible for grant funding. House Bill 634 widens the parameters for agricultural learning projects in urban schools by including non- demonstration projects, and also encourages a more widespread involvement from individual schools. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Agriculture in SECTION 1 (Section 46.001, Agriculture Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 634 amends the Agriculture Code to require the Department of Agriculture (department) to develop by rule a program to award grants to public elementary schools located in large urban districts for the purpose of establishing projects designed to foster an understanding and awareness of agriculture in addition to demonstration agricultural projects. The bill removes a provision that makes a school eligible to receive a grant under this chapter if it located in a school district with an enrollment of at least 45,000 students and more than $25,000 is appropriated for the purpose of an agricultural project. The bill also removes the restriction that prohibits the department from awarding a grant to more than one school within the same school district in a school year. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.