House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock - 67th R.S. (1981)

Committee Members
Leroy J. Wieting, Chair Pete Patterson, Vice Chair Dan Kubiak, Chair - Budget & Oversight A. C. 'Tony' Garcia Bruce Gibson Bill Keese	James E. "Pete" Laney Susan Gurley McBee Jay H. Reynolds Robert Saunders Tom C. Waldrop
Charges
• Study the feasibility of establishing foreign market trade missions and offices in other countries for the purpose of marketing Texas agricultural products and promoting agricultural exports.*
• Examine operations under the new Agricultural Code to ascertain if substantive changes were indeed incorporated into the non-substantive items rewritten in the Code. Work with the Texas Legislative Council in identifying areas which may need substantive changes.
• Study the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Determine the number of people served, services provided, etc.
• Review the manner in which alcohol manufacturing processes are permitted and regulated by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and other agencies with similar responsibilities. Stay abreast of new technology in field of alcohol fuel production.
• Study the commercial potential of guayule, the desert shrub which was the nation's major source of rubber during World War II.
• Study cotton warehousing in Texas with specific attention to alleged delays in service by the industry, the status of domestic and foreign markets, and the adequacy of current law as it deals with cotton warehousing.
• Oversight functions shall be conducted for all appropriations-related actions of those agencies assigned to this committee for appropriative purposes during the 67th Regular Session of the Legislature. In addition, a study should be made of the impact of any federal cuts, and the differences in the operational aspect of the agencies under block vs. categorical grants. Close scrutiny should be given to each agency to ascertain if legislative intent is being carried out in the rules promulgated by the agency and if the rules are feasible and practical in their application. These agencies include: Department of Agriculture Animal Health Commission Soil and Water Conservation Board Texas Agriculture Experiment Station Texas Agriculture Extension Service Texas Forest Service Rodent and Predatory Animal Control Service Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Natural Fibers and Food Protein Committee Cooperative Meat Inspection Structural Pest Control Board
• Study the rights of surface land owners with respect to the exploration of oil and gas minerals and surface mining of lignite, coal, iron ore, gravel, sand clay and other surface minerals.
• Study the possibility of creating a special municipal utility district for rural water cooperatives.
* This represents an abstract of the report contents. Charge text is incomplete or unavailable.

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