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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a grant program to reduce wait times for agricultural |
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inspections of vehicles at ports of entry along the Texas-Mexico |
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border. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 12.050 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.050. TRADE AGRICULTURAL INSPECTION GRANT PROGRAM. |
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(a) Using money appropriated for this purpose or money received |
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under Subsection (g), the department may make a grant to a nonprofit |
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organization for the purpose of promoting the agricultural |
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processing industry in this state by reducing wait times for |
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agricultural inspections of vehicles at ports of entry along the |
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border with the United Mexican States. |
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(b) The department shall request proposals for the award of |
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a grant under this section. The department shall evaluate the |
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proposals and award a grant based on the proposed program's |
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quantifiable effectiveness and the potentially positive impact on |
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the agricultural processing industry in this state. |
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(c) A grant awarded under this section must be made to an |
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organization that has demonstrated experience working with border |
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inspection authorities to reduce border crossing wait times. |
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(d) A grant recipient may use grant money received under |
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this section only to pay for activities directly related to the |
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purpose of the grant program as described by Subsection (a). A grant |
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recipient may use grant money to reimburse a federal governmental |
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agency that, at the request of the grant recipient, provides |
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additional border agricultural inspectors or pays overtime to |
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border agricultural inspectors at ports of entry along the border |
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with the United Mexican States. |
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(e) The department shall establish procedures to administer |
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the grant program, including a procedure for the submission of a |
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proposal and a procedure to be used by the department to evaluate a |
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proposal. |
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(f) The department shall enter into a contract that includes |
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performance requirements with each grant recipient. The department |
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shall monitor and enforce the terms of the contract. The contract |
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must authorize the department to recoup grant money from a grant |
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recipient for failure of the grant recipient to comply with the |
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terms of the contract. |
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(g) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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donations from any source for the purpose of awarding grants under |
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this section. |
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(h) The department may adopt any rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |