HBA-JLV H.B. 819 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 819
By: Counts
Land & Resource Management
6/14/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Department of Economic Development (TDED) was created by the 75th
Legislature in an effort to assist communities with special needs and
challenges.  The Office of Rural Affairs (office) was created within TDED
to assist rural communities in Texas with enhancement of their economic
development competitiveness.  In an effort to make the office a more viable
tool for addressing the needs and challenges of rural Texas, proponents
sought to transfer the office to the commissioner of agriculture and the
Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA).  House Bill 819 transfers all
powers, duties, rights, and obligations of TDED relating to the Office of
Rural Affairs to TDA. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 819 amends the Government and Agriculture codes to transfer all
of the powers, duties, rights, and obligations of the Texas Department of
Economic Development (TDED) relating to the Office of Rural Affairs
(office) to the commissioner of agriculture and the Texas Department of
Agriculture (TDA).  The bill provides that all assets, liabilities,
personnel, equipment, data, documents, facilities, and other items relating
to the office are transferred from TDED to TDA.  The bill provides that any
appropriation to the TDED  relating to the office is transferred to TDA. 

The bill authorizes the governing board of TDED to decide whether to
transfer to TDA  personnel who perform both duties related and not related
to the office as well as whether to transfer assets used by both the office
and other divisions of  TDED. 

The bill requires officers and employees of  TDED and TDA to cooperate
fully with the transfer.  The bill also requires that the transfer occur on
the date specified in an interagency contract among the governing board of
TDED, the director of the office, and TDA, but not later than January 1,
2002 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.