85R16516 BEF-D
 
  By: Stephenson, González of El Paso H.B. No. 572
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the disposal of pesticides.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 76, Agriculture Code, is
  amended by adding Section 76.009 to read as follows:
         Sec. 76.009.  PESTICIDE DISPOSAL FUND. (a)  The pesticide
  disposal fund is a fund in the state treasury outside the general
  revenue fund. The fund consists of:
               (1)  money deposited to the credit of the fund under
  Section 76.044; and
               (2)  interest earned on the investment of money in the
  fund.
         (b)  The department shall administer the fund.  Money in the
  fund may be appropriated only for the purposes of the pesticide
  waste and pesticide container collection activities performed
  under Section 76.132.
         SECTION 2.  Section 76.044, Agriculture Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  Of the money received by the department under this
  section, the department shall annually deposit to the credit of the
  pesticide disposal fund under Section 76.009 an amount to cover the
  cost of administering the pesticide waste and pesticide container
  collection activities performed under Section 76.132, not to exceed
  $400,000.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter F, Chapter 76, Agriculture Code, is
  amended by adding Section 76.132 to read as follows:
         Sec. 76.132.  DISPOSAL OF PESTICIDE. The department, in
  coordination with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and
  the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, shall organize pesticide
  waste and pesticide container collection activities statewide.  The
  department, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the
  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service may contract for the services
  of contractors that are licensed in the disposal of hazardous waste
  under Section 401.202, Health and Safety Code, or other contractors
  to implement the pesticide waste and pesticide container collection
  activities and facilitate the collection of canceled,
  unregistered, or otherwise unwanted pesticide products and
  pesticide containers.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.