Bill Text: TX SB1128 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to pollinator health.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-18 - Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs [SB1128 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1128-Introduced.html
87R448 BEF-D | ||
By: Powell | S.B. No. 1128 |
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relating to pollinator health. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 131, Agriculture Code, is | ||
amended by adding Sections 131.011 and 131.012 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 131.011. POLLINATOR HEALTH EDUCATION. (a) The Texas | ||
A&M AgriLife Extension Service, in consultation with the | ||
department, shall develop educational materials regarding the best | ||
practices for avoiding adverse effects from pesticides on | ||
populations of bees and other pollinating insects. The educational | ||
materials must include information on measures that pesticide | ||
applicators may take to protect honeybees and bumblebees. The | ||
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the department shall | ||
jointly design the requirements to ensure that any pesticide | ||
applicator applying or supervising the application of a pesticide | ||
is knowledgeable regarding alternatives to, the appropriateness | ||
of, and precautions for pesticide use that may be injurious to the | ||
health of bees and other pollinating insects. | ||
(b) The department shall make the educational materials | ||
described in this section a part of the education required to obtain | ||
a pesticide applicator license under Chapter 76. | ||
Sec. 131.012. TASK FORCE ON POLLINATOR HEALTH. (a) In this | ||
section, "task force" means the task force on pollinator health | ||
established under this section. | ||
(b) The task force consists of the following 10 members: | ||
(1) one member of the senate, appointed by the | ||
lieutenant governor after consultation with the speaker of the | ||
house of representatives, who serves as a nonvoting member of the | ||
task force; | ||
(2) one member of the house of representatives, | ||
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives after | ||
consultation with the lieutenant governor, who is from a different | ||
political party than the member appointed under Subdivision (1) and | ||
who serves as a nonvoting member of the task force; | ||
(3) one member, appointed by the governor, who is a | ||
university faculty member specializing in the science of pollinator | ||
health; | ||
(4) one member, appointed by the governor, | ||
representing an advocacy group for nurseries and greenhouse | ||
producers; | ||
(5) one member, appointed by the governor, | ||
representing an advocacy group for farmers; | ||
(6) one member, appointed by the governor, | ||
representing an advocacy group dedicated to the protection of | ||
pollinators and invertebrates; | ||
(7) one member, appointed by the governor, | ||
representing an advocacy group dedicated to environmental | ||
protection; | ||
(8) one member, appointed by the governor, | ||
representing an advocacy group for retailers; | ||
(9) one member, appointed by the governor, who is | ||
certified as a master gardener by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension | ||
Service and who represents the public; and | ||
(10) one member, appointed by the governor, who is a | ||
beekeeper and who represents the public. | ||
(c) The task force shall undertake activities to examine | ||
issues relevant to pollinator health, including: | ||
(1) studying proposed and enacted pesticide | ||
regulations from other states and countries that are more | ||
protective of pollinator health than the pesticide regulations of | ||
the United States Environmental Protection Agency; | ||
(2) studying public education and outreach plans | ||
regarding pollinator health that have been successful in other | ||
states; | ||
(3) evaluating the effectiveness of applicator | ||
licensing and other legal requirements, and of any state or federal | ||
incentives, in matters affecting pollinator health; | ||
(4) identifying possible funding streams for efforts | ||
to promote or protect pollinator health; | ||
(5) investigating the means used by other states to | ||
gather data on populations of bees or other pollinating insects; | ||
and | ||
(6) evaluating existing best management practices for | ||
applying neonicotinoids in a manner that avoids harming pollinating | ||
insects. | ||
(d) The task force may take actions necessary and proper to | ||
carry out the work of the task force, including scheduling hearings | ||
and taking testimony on matters related to pollinator health. | ||
(e) A majority of the voting members of the task force | ||
constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. | ||
(f) Official action by the task force requires the approval | ||
of five or more voting members of the task force. | ||
(g) The task force shall elect one of its voting members to | ||
serve as presiding officer. | ||
(h) The appropriate appointing officer shall appoint a | ||
qualified person to fill a vacancy on the task force. | ||
(i) The task force shall meet at times and places specified | ||
by the call of the presiding officer or of a majority of the voting | ||
members of the task force. | ||
(j) The task force may adopt bylaws necessary for the | ||
operation of the task force. | ||
(k) Not later than October 1, 2022, the task force shall | ||
submit a report, which may include recommendations for legislation, | ||
to the standing committees of the senate and the house of | ||
representatives with primary jurisdiction over agriculture. The | ||
task force may provide progress reports to those committees before | ||
October 1, 2022. | ||
(l) The department shall provide staff support to the task | ||
force. | ||
(m) Members of the task force who are not members of the | ||
legislature are not entitled to compensation but may be reimbursed | ||
for actual and necessary travel and other expenses incurred in the | ||
performance of their official duties in the manner and amounts | ||
provided for in the General Appropriations Act. | ||
(n) Each state agency shall assist the task force in the | ||
performance of its duties and, to the extent permitted by laws | ||
relating to confidentiality, shall furnish information and advice | ||
that the members of the task force consider necessary to perform | ||
their duties. | ||
(o) This section expires December 31, 2022. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2021, the relevant | ||
appointing authorities shall appoint the members of the task force | ||
on pollinator health under Section 131.012(b), Agriculture Code, as | ||
added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |