By: Zaffirini	S.B. No. 1208
	(In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2013; March 12, 2013, read
	first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs,
	and Homeland Security; April 24, 2013, rereferred to Committee on
	Government Organization; April 29, 2013, reported adversely, with
	favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
	Nays 0; April 29, 2013, sent to printer.)
	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1208	By:  Rodriguez

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the creation of a regional food economy and food access
	task force.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  REGIONAL FOOD ECONOMY AND FOOD ACCESS TASK
	FORCE. (a)  The regional food economy and food access task force is
	created to study and provide recommendations to the legislature on
	developing this state's regional food economy and improving access
	to healthy food for the people in this state.
	(b)  The task force consists of nine members appointed as
	follows:
	(1)  one member who is a representative of the food
	retail industry with experience in grocery stores, appointed by the
	governor;
	(2)  one member who is a physician with experience in
	public health, appointed by the commissioner of state health
	services;
	(3)  one member who is a representative of a community
	development financial institution, appointed by the governor;
	(4)  one member who is a large-scale farmer, as defined
	by the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the
	lieutenant governor;
	(5)  one member who is a small-scale farmer, as defined
	by the United States Department of Agriculture, with experience in
	farmers markets, appointed by the lieutenant governor;
	(6)  one member who is a representative of a food bank,
	appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
	(7)  one member who is a representative of a regional
	food advocacy group, appointed by the speaker of the house of
	representatives;
	(8)  one representative of the Texas Department of
	Agriculture, appointed by the commissioner of agriculture; and
	(9)  one representative of the Texas A&M AgriLife
	Extension Service, appointed by the chancellor of The Texas A&M
	University System.
	(c)  The representative of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
	Service serves as the presiding officer of the task force.
	(d)  A task force member is not entitled to compensation or
	reimbursement of expenses.
	(e)  The task force shall:
	(1)  examine the following food economy goals:
	(A)  creating and retaining family-wage jobs;
	(B)  expanding export and local markets for
	regional products;
	(C)  developing regional public-private
	partnerships and leveraging existing public-private partnership
	efforts; and
	(D)  improving access to healthy food and food
	security, protecting natural resources, and enhancing community
	connections; and
	(2)  develop recommendations for legislation and state
	agency programming that will improve this state's regional food
	economy and improve access to healthy food for the people in this
	state.
	(f)  The task force shall meet not later than the 30th day
	after the date the last initial appointment is made.  The task force
	shall meet regularly as necessary at the call of the presiding
	officer.
	(g)  Not later than September 1, 2014, the task force shall:
	(1)  submit to the legislature a report outlining
	legislative recommendations and recommendations for state agency
	programming; and
	(2)  provide a presentation on the task force's
	recommendations to the standing committee of each house of the
	legislature with primary jurisdiction over economic development.
	SECTION 2.  EXPIRATION. The task force established under
	this Act is abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2015.
	SECTION 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  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, 2013.
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