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Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
From Ballotpedia
| Texas Commissioner of Agriculture | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2013 FY Budget: | $592,338,350 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Texas Agricultural Code, Chapter 11, Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Todd Staples |
| Officeholder Party: | Republican |
| Assumed office: | 2007 |
| Compensation: | $137,500 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other Texas Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Auditor • Education Commissioner • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Land Commissioner • Workforce Commission • Public Utility Commission • Railroad Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Todd Staples.
Authority
The Commissioners powers, term of office, etc. are derived from Chapter 11 of the Texas Agricultural Code.
Chapter 11 Section 1:
| The Department of Agriculture is under the direction of the commissioner of agriculture, who is responsible for exercising the powers and performing the duties assigned to the department by this code or other law.[1] |
Qualifications
Chapter 11 of the Texas Agricultural Code establishes the requirements for office:
Section 5, Chapter 11:
To be eligible for election as commissioner or appointment to fill a vacancy in the office of commissioner, a person must:
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Elections
The commissioner of agriculture is elected to a four-year term. In Texas, the commissioner is elected in 2010, 2014, and 2018.[3]
Vacancies
Under Article 4, Section 12 of the state constitution, "all vacancies in State or district offices, except members of the Legislature, shall be filled unless otherwise provided by law by appointment of the Governor."
Duties
The commissioner of agriculture performs specific duties in several different areas:[4]
Consumer Protection:
- Regulates all fuel pumps in Texas to ensure drivers get the correct quality and amount of fuel
- Regulates all weights and measures devices, such as grocery store scales and retail price scanners, to ensure consumers are charged advertised prices
- Regulates pesticide use and application from residential to commercial use
- Certifies organically-produced products to help ensure consumers have a reliable supply of organic products
Production Agriculture:
- Protects agricultural crops, such as citrus and cotton, from harmful pests and diseases
- Facilitates trade and market development of agricultural commodities ranging from livestock to crops to ensure Texas remains the nation's leader in the production of cattle, cotton, hay, sheep, wool, goats, mohair and horses
- Provides financial assistance to farmers and ranchers in the form of loan guarantees, interest rate reductions and even grants for young farmers
- Administers grant funds for agricultural research to develop new technologies
- Advocates for policies at the federal, state, and local level that are beneficial to the $106 billion agriculture sector, which comprises 10% of the Texas economy
Healthy Living:
- Administers the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs for Texas school children
- Fights obesity in Texas through a statewide campaign highlighting the 3E's of Healthy Living - *Education, Exercise and Eating Right
- Administers assistance to feed the hungry through the Texans Feeding Texans initiative
Economic Development:
- Provides tools for communities to attract businesses and pursue other economic development opportunities
- Offers infrastructure grants to rural communities
- Leads in the development of statewide broadband services
- Administers the Certified Retirement Community program to attract retirees to the second leading retirement state in the U.S.
- Markets Texas products, cultures and communities through the GO TEXAN branded campaign
Divisions
- Food and Nutrition Division
- Pesticide Programs Division
- Regulatory Division
- Rural Economic Development Division [5]
State budget
The budget for the Department of Agriculture in Fiscal Year 2013 was $592,338,350.[6]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2012
In 2012, the commissioner of agriculture was paid an estimated $137,500. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
2010
In 2010, the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture was paid an estimated $137,500 according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
Contact information
Texas Department of Agriculture
1700 N. Congress, 11th Floor
Austin TX 78701
- Phone: (512) 463-7476
- TTY: (800) 735-2989
- Fax: (888) 223-8861
- E-mail:
See also
External links
- Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)
- Commissioner Staples' official blog
- TDA on Facebook
- TDA on Twitter
- TDA Flickr photos
- TDA YouTube channel
References
- ↑ Chapter 11, Section 1 of the Texas Agricultural Code
- ↑ Texas Agricultural Code Chapter 11
- ↑ Texas statutes, "Title 2, Chapter 11: Administration; Department of Agriculture," accessed December 27, 2011
- ↑ Texas Department of Agriculture, "What does the TDA do?" accessed December 27, 2011
- ↑ Divisions, retrieved November 7, 2011.
- ↑ Legislative Reference Library of Texas , "General Appropriations Act for the 2012-2013 Biennium," accessed April 6, 2013
- ↑ The Council of State Governments,"The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," retrieved November 4, 2011
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