Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

__________ N ATURAL
ESOURCES/Agriculture
ATURAL RESOURCES
77 th Texas Legislature
Senate Sponsor: Senator Duncan
Currently, there is no statute allowing for creation of a district for the purpose of processing an agricultural
commodity. Such districts would allow producers to compete with corporations by giving them a
mechanism to acquire capital for processing agricultural products locally and by exempting these districts
from property taxes. H.B. 1880, titled the Agricultural Development Act, authorizes agricultural producers
to petition a county commissioners court to create a Texas Agricultural Development District (district) for
the purpose of providing incentives for the development of agricultural operations and facilities.
Provides for the creation of a district as a conservation and reclamation district under Section 59, Article
XVI, Texas Constitution, to conserve and develop the natural resources of this state, including agricultural
resources.
Sets out provisions regarding the powers and duties of a district and authorizes a district to exercise the
power of eminent domain within its boundaries for the purpose of acquiring an agricultural facility.
Authorizes a district to use tax increment financing and to impose assessments.
Regulating the Purchase and Sale of Timber - H.B. 2246
by Representatives Ellis and McReynolds
Senate Sponsor: Senator Staples
Theft of timber is a difficult crime to prosecute and H.B. 2246 facilitates prosecution by establishing a paper
trail requiring landowners and sellers to provide a bill of sale each time timber changes ownership.
Requires a seller to provide and a purchaser to accept a bill of sale for the sale of trees, timber, logs,
pulpwood, or in-woods chips.
Requires a bill of sale to include information identifying the owner, seller, purchaser, and land involved.
Requires the purchaser to retain the bill of sale for at least two years.
Requires all designated delivery stations, such as a wood yard, transfer yard, mill site, or storage yard, to
post written notice related to timber theft and fraud.
Clarifies that this bill does not apply to finished wood products; logs or pulpwood from a wood yard, transfer
yard, mill site, or storage yard; trees from a nursery; or trees logs or pulpwood with a commercial value of
less than $250.
Senate Research Center 212