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The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is inspecting small produce farms under the guise of implementing the federal Food Safety Modernization Act – even though these small farms are exempt under the federal rule! TDA is claiming authority to enter any produce farm at any time, and has created new, subjective standards under which the farms can be shut down without warning.
The Texas Legislature is considering a pair of bills – HB 2397/ SB 1376 – to put a stop to this. The bills would limit TDA to implementing the federal rule and no more. No more inspecting exempt farms, no more creating different standards, no more harassment.
But while the bills have bipartisan support, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have yet to schedule hearings on them, and time is running short.
Please help us get these important bills passed!
TAKE ACTION
Getting more co-sponsors is one of the best ways to create pressure to get committee hearings on these bills.
- Call your State Representative and urge him or her to co-sponsor HB 2397.
- Call your State Senator and urge him or her to co-sponsor SB 1376.
Each call takes about a minute, and it truly makes a difference.
Find out who represents you.
Sample call script:
“Hi, my name is ___, and I live in [town]. I am calling to urge my Representative to co-sponsor HB 2397 [or to urge my Senator to co-sponsor SB 1376]
I am a [small farmer, a consumer who buys from local farms, … however you want to describe yourself]. I am opposed to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s overreach in implementing the federal food safety rule. No other state or the FDA is physically inspecting exempt farms. Texas should not create more burdens for small farms than the federal government does!
HB 2397/ SB 1376 simply brings TDA in line with the federal rule and prevents Texas small farmers from being unnecessarily harassed by the agency.
I ask that my Representative [or Senator] sign on to the bill and do everything they can to help it move forward this session.”
If you have time, ask for the email address for the staffer who is handling agriculture bills, and follow up with an email to them after your call. Politely let them know how important protecting small farms is to you! They are working very long hours right now, so keep your call and email short and to the point.
If your State Representative or Senator is on the Ag Committee (see the list below), it’s even more important that they hear from you and from others in your district!
If you want to read more about the bill, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance has a fact sheet about the bill at: http://farmandranchfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HB2397-SB1376-Stop-TDA-Overreach.pdf
AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Legislators want to hear from the people they represent … and when committee members hear from their constituents, it can have a major impact! If you live in any of the districts below, it is vital that you call your legislator and urge them to support HB 2397/ SB 1376 and help it move through the committee – and then share this information with your friends and family who also live in the district, and urge them to call as well!
The list below includes the areas the legislators represent. You can also look up who represents you.
Senate Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee
Chair: Charles Perry
Represents: From Plainview down to San Angelo and many counties to the east and west – check out the map at https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/fyiwebdocs/pdf/senate/dist28/m1.pdf )
Charles.Perry@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0128
Vice Chair: Drew Springer
Represents: Archer, Clay, Cooke, Erath, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Wichita, Wise, and Young counties and parts of Collin and Denton counties
Drew.Springer@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0130
Brandon Creighton
Represents: Chambers and Jefferson counties and parts of Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties
Brandon.Creighton@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0104
Sarah Eckhardt
Represents: Bastrop County and part of Travis County
Sarah.Eckhardt@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0114
Roland Gutierrez
Represents: Brewster, Crockett, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Pecos, Real, Reeves, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala counties, and parts of Atascosa and Bexar counties
Roland.Gutierrez@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0119
Nathan Johnson (Senator Johnson has already signed on to SB 1376, so just say “thank you!” if he is your Senator)
Represents: Part of Dallas County
Nathan.Johnson@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0116
Lois Kolkhorst
Represents: Aransas, Austin, Burleson, Calhoun, Colorado, De Witt, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, Refugio, Victoria, Waller, Washington, and Wharton counties, and parts of Fort Bend, Harris, and Nueces counties
Lois.Kolkhorst@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0118
Beverly Powell
Represents: Part of Tarrant County
Beverly.Powell@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0110
Larry Taylor
Represents: Parts of Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris counties
Larry.Taylor@senate.texas.gov
512-463-0111
House Agriculture Committee
Chair: DeWayne Burns
Represents: Bosque, Johnson counties
DeWayne.Burns@house.texas.gov
512-463-0538
Vice Chair: Charles “Doc” Anderson
Represents: Part of McLennan County
Charles.Anderson@house.texas.gov
512-463-0135
Members:
Ernest Bailes
Represents: Liberty, Walker, San Jacinto counties
Ernest.Bailes@house.texas.gov
512-463-0570
Sheryl Cole
Represents: Part of Travis County
Sheryl.Cole@house.texas.gov
512-463-0506
John Cyrier (Rep. Cyrier is already a joint author to the bill, so if he is your Rep, please tell him “thank you!”)
Represents: Bastrop, Caldwell, Gonzales, Karnes, and Lee counties
John.Cyrier@house.texas.gov
512-463-0682
Ryan Guillen
Represents: Atascosa, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Starr, and Willacy counties
Ryan.Guillen@house.texas.gov
512-463-0416
Abel Herrero
Represents: Parts of Nueces County
Abel.Herrero@house.texas.gov
512-463-0461
Jon Rosenthal
Represents: Part of Harris County
Jon.Rosenthal@house.texas.gov
512-463-0722
Steve Toth
Represents: Part of Montgomery County
Steve.Toth@house.texas.gov
512-463-0797
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