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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the disposal of pesticides. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 76, Agriculture Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 76.009 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 76.009. PESTICIDE DISPOSAL FUND. (a) The pesticide |
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disposal fund is a fund in the state treasury outside the general |
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revenue fund. The fund consists of: |
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(1) money deposited to the credit of the fund under |
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Section 76.044; and |
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(2) interest earned on the investment of money in the |
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fund. |
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(b) The department shall administer the fund. Money in the |
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fund may be appropriated only for the purposes of the pesticide |
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waste and pesticide container collection activities performed |
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under Section 76.132. |
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SECTION 2. Section 76.044, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) Of the money received by the department under this |
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section, the department shall annually deposit to the credit of the |
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pesticide disposal fund under Section 76.009 an amount to cover the |
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cost of administering the pesticide waste and pesticide container |
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collection activities performed under Section 76.132, not to exceed |
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$400,000. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter F, Chapter 76, Agriculture Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 76.132 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 76.132. DISPOSAL OF PESTICIDE. The department, in |
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coordination with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and |
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the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, shall organize pesticide |
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waste and pesticide container collection activities statewide. The |
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department, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the |
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service may contract for the services |
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of contractors that are licensed in the disposal of hazardous waste |
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under Section 401.202, Health and Safety Code, or other contractors |
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to implement the pesticide waste and pesticide container collection |
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activities and facilitate the collection of canceled, |
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unregistered, or otherwise unwanted pesticide products and |
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pesticide containers. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |