Sec. 84.011. TEXAS FARM AND RANCH LANDS CONSERVATION COUNCIL. (a) The Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Council is established to advise and assist the director with administration of the program and to select applicants to receive grants under this chapter using the criteria adopted by the council under Section 84.010. The council consists of 12 members as follows:

(1) six members appointed by the governor as follows:

(A) two members who each operate a family farm or ranch in this state;

(B) one member who is the designated representative of an agricultural banking or lending organization and who has significant experience lending for farms and ranches or lands encumbered by conservation easements;

(C) two members who are the designated representatives of a statewide agricultural organization in existence in this state for not less than 10 years; and

(D) one member who is a designated representative of a statewide nonprofit organization that represents land trusts operating in this state; and

(2) six ex officio members as follows:

(A) the executive director of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board;

(B) the commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's designee;

(C) the chair of the Texas Water Development Board, or the chair's designee;

(D) the state conservationist of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture or a designee of that person, who serves as a nonvoting member;

(E) the presiding officer of the commission or the presiding officer's designee, who must be a member of the commission; and

(F) the executive director of the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources.

(b) Appointed members of the council serve staggered terms of six years, with two of the members' terms expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year.

(c) Appointments to and removal from the council shall be made by the governor without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the appointees.

(d) The presiding officer of the commission or the presiding officer's designee shall serve as the presiding officer of the council. The presiding officer of the commission may appoint, at that person's discretion, the executive director of the department or another member of the commission to serve as the presiding officer of the council. The presiding officer of the council shall designate from among the members of the council an assistant presiding officer of the council to serve in that capacity at the will of the presiding officer of the council. The council may choose from its appointed members other officers as the council considers necessary.

(e) A member of the council is not entitled to compensation for service on the council but is entitled to reimbursement of the necessary and reasonable travel expenses incurred by the member while conducting the business of the council, as provided for state employees by the General Appropriations Act.

(f) The council shall meet not less than once each year.

(g) A person may not be appointed as a council member if the person or the person's spouse:

(1) is employed by or participates in the management of a business entity or other organization receiving money under the program;

(2) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent interest in a business entity or other organization receiving money under the program; or

(3) uses or receives a substantial amount of tangible goods, services, or money under the program other than reimbursement authorized by law for travel expenses as described by Subsection (e).

(h) In this subsection, "Texas trade association" means a cooperative and voluntarily joined statewide association of business or professional competitors in this state designed to assist its members and its industry or profession in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in promoting their common interest. A person may not be an appointed member of the council if:

(1) the person is an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association for an occupation or profession with an interest in land conservation that is related to the occupation or profession; or

(2) the person's spouse is an officer, manager, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association for an occupation or profession with an interest in land conservation that is related to that occupation or profession.

(i) A person may not be an appointed member of the council or act as the general counsel to the council if the person is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, because of the person's activities for compensation on behalf of an occupation or profession with an interest in land conservation that is related to that occupation or profession.

(j) It is a ground for removal from the council if a member:

(1) is ineligible for membership under this section;

(2) cannot, because of illness or disability, discharge the member's duties for a substantial part of the member's term; or

(3) is absent from more than half of the regularly scheduled council meetings that the member is eligible to attend during a calendar year without an excuse approved by a majority vote of the council.

(k) The validity of an action of the council is not affected by the fact that it is taken when a ground for removal of a participating council member exists.

(l) If the presiding officer of the council has knowledge that a potential ground for removal exists, the presiding officer of the council shall notify the director and the governor that a potential ground for removal exists.

(m) The presiding officer of the council or that person's designee, with the assistance of staff of the department, shall provide to members of the council information regarding a member's responsibilities under applicable laws relating to standards of conduct for state officers.

(n) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as a member of the council may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of the council until the person completes a training program that complies with this section. The training program must provide the person with information regarding:

(1) the legislation that created the council;

(2) the program to be administered under this chapter;

(3) the role and functions of the council;

(4) the rules of the council, with an emphasis on the rules that relate to disciplinary and investigatory authority;

(5) the current budget for the council;

(6) the results of the most recent formal audit of the council;

(7) the requirements of:

(A) the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code;

(B) the public information law, Chapter 552, Government Code;

(C) the administrative procedure law, Chapter 2001, Government Code; and

(D) other laws relating to public officials, including conflict-of-interest laws; and

(8) any applicable policies adopted by the council or the Texas Ethics Commission.

(o) A person appointed to the council is entitled to reimbursement, as provided by the General Appropriations Act, for the travel expenses incurred in attending the training program regardless of whether the attendance at the training program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office.

Transferred, redesignated and amended from Natural Resources Code, Subchapter B, Chapter 183 by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 401 (H.B. 1925), Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 2015.