(a) The commissioner may grant a request for an area in Texas to be declared eradicated after a written recommendation is submitted to the department by the foundation, supported by scientific documentation acceptable to the department indicating that movement of regulated articles into the area presents a threat to the success of boll weevil eradication.     
      (b) The West Texas Maintenance Area, as provided in §3.702 of this title (relating to West Texas Maintenance Area), and the East Texas Maintenance Area, as provided in §3.705 of this title (relating to East Texas Maintenance Area) have been declared eradicated areas by the commissioner.     
      (c) The department will recognize as eradicated any areas outside of Texas that are declared eradicated by that state's department of agriculture if that state's definition of an eradicated area is equivalent to the definition of an eradicated area in §20.1 of this chapter (relating to Definitions).     
      (d) The department has determined that the definitions of an eradicated area of the New Mexico and Oklahoma departments of agriculture are equivalent to the definition of an eradicated area in §20.1 of this chapter.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §20.14 adopted to be effective July 9, 2001, 26 TexReg 4996; amended to be effective October 7, 2004, 29 TexReg 9353; amended to be effective January 1, 2016, 40 TexReg 9625; amended to be effective June 4, 2020, 45 TexReg 3619; amended to be effective March 5, 2023, 48 TexReg 1033; amended to be effective September 26, 2023, 48 TexReg 5539