Sec. 12.050. TRADE AGRICULTURAL INSPECTION GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Using money appropriated for this purpose or money received under Subsection (g), the department may make a grant to a nonprofit organization for the purpose of promoting the agricultural processing industry in this state by reducing wait times for agricultural inspections of vehicles at ports of entry along the border with the United Mexican States.
(b) The department shall request proposals for the award of a grant under this section. The department shall evaluate the proposals and award a grant based on the proposed program's quantifiable effectiveness and the potentially positive impact on the agricultural processing industry in this state.
(c) A grant awarded under this section must be made to an organization that has demonstrated experience working with border inspection authorities to reduce border crossing wait times.
(d) A grant recipient may use grant money received under this section only to pay for activities directly related to the purpose of the grant program as described by Subsection (a). A grant recipient may use grant money to reimburse a federal governmental agency that, at the request of the grant recipient, provides additional border agricultural inspectors or pays overtime to border agricultural inspectors at ports of entry along the border with the United Mexican States.
(e) The department shall establish procedures to administer the grant program, including a procedure for the submission of a proposal and a procedure to be used by the department to evaluate a proposal.
(f) The department shall enter into a contract that includes performance requirements with each grant recipient. The department shall monitor and enforce the terms of the contract. The contract must authorize the department to recoup grant money from a grant recipient for failure of the grant recipient to comply with the terms of the contract.
(g) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source for the purpose of awarding grants under this section.
(h) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a nonprofit organization must provide matching funds. The department may not award a grant to a nonprofit organization until the department certifies that the nonprofit organization has the matching funds. The amount of the grant may not exceed the amount of matching funds. The department may not require a nonprofit organization to provide matching funds in an amount that exceeds the amount of the grant.
(i) The total amount of grants awarded under this section may not exceed $725,000 for the duration of the program.
(j) The department may adopt any rules necessary to implement this section.
(k) Not later than January 15, 2025, the department shall evaluate the performance of the program under this section and submit a report to the legislature. The report must include an evaluation of agricultural inspections affected by the program, including the extent to which the program is reducing wait times for agricultural inspections of vehicles at ports of entry along the border with the United Mexican States.
(l) Unless continued in existence by the legislature, this section expires September 1, 2025.
Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1351 (H.B. 2155), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.
Amended by:
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 655 (H.B. 1371), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2021.
Structure Texas Statutes
Title 2 - Department of Agriculture
Chapter 12 - Powers and Duties
Section 12.001. Execution of Laws
Section 12.0011. Authority to Enter Into Cooperative Agreements
Section 12.002. Development of Agriculture
Section 12.0025. Nutrition Programs
Section 12.0026. Interagency Farm-to-School Coordination Task Force
Section 12.0027. Nutrition Outreach Program
Section 12.0029. Summer Nutrition Programs
Section 12.003. Agricultural Societies
Section 12.006. Development of Domestic and Foreign Markets
Section 12.007. Plant Diseases and Pests
Section 12.010. Correspondence With Government Agencies and Others
Section 12.011. Agricultural Resource Statistics
Section 12.0135. Conflict Provisions
Section 12.0145. Submission of Proposed Fee Schedule
Section 12.015. Cooperation With Texas a & M University and Experiment Stations
Section 12.0175. "Go-Texan" Program
Section 12.0176. Cooperation With Certain Commodity Producers Boards
Section 12.0177. Texas Nursery and Floral Account
Section 12.020. Administrative Penalties
Section 12.0201. License Sanctions
Section 12.0202. Administrative Hearings
Section 12.0203. Negotiated Rulemaking and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Section 12.0204. Advisory Committees
Section 12.0205. Coordination of Consumer Protection Enforcement With Office of Attorney General
Section 12.021. Fee for Phytosanitation Inspection; Issuance of Certificate
Section 12.022. Authority to Solicit and Accept Gifts, Grants, and Donations
Section 12.023. Expiration of Registration or Licenses
Section 12.024. Late Renewal of License or Registration
Section 12.025. Program Accessibility Plan
Section 12.026. Public Interest Information
Section 12.0261. Administrative Procedure
Section 12.027. Economic Development Program
Section 12.0271. Rural Economic Development and Investment Program
Section 12.0272. Texas Economic Development Fund
Section 12.0273. Limitations on Loans and Grants From Texas Economic Development Fund
Section 12.028. Competitive Bidding or Advertising
Section 12.029. Minority and Female-Owned Business Contracts
Section 12.031. Advertising, Publications, and Fees
Section 12.032. Cooperation With State Office of Administrative Hearings
Section 12.033. Multiple Licenses
Section 12.034. Refund or Waiver of Fees
Section 12.035. Notice to Examinee
Section 12.036. Licensing Out-of-State Applicants
Section 12.037. Continuing Education
Section 12.038. Office of Rural Affairs
Section 12.039. Certain Wine Produced or Bottled in This State
Section 12.040. Texas Certified Retirement Community Program
Section 12.041. School Breakfast and Lunch Program
Section 12.042. Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program
Section 12.046. Texas Rural Investment Fund
Section 12.047. Use of Technology
Section 12.048. Obtaining Criminal History Record Information
Section 12.050. Trade Agricultural Inspection Grant Program
Section 12.051. Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Program