Subscribe to receive our Floor Reports covering all the action on the Texas House and Senate floor!
Relating to the detection and mitigation of plant pests and diseases.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
SB 1672 would establish an early plant pest detection and surveillance system through cooperative agreements with the Texas Department of Agriculture and universities in the state. Universities that apply and are accepted to enter into this agreement shall use any money received under a cooperative agreement to carry out early pest detection and surveillance approved by the department. Duties would include detecting invasive pests before the pest becomes established or an infestation of the pest becomes too large and costly to eradicate or control.
Texas Action remains neutral on SB 1672 because it does not affect our liberty principles. We do consider mitigation of nonnative invasive species to be within the legitimate scope of the state to address.