Sec. 74.125.  ORGANIC COTTON GROWERS.  (a)  The commissioner shall develop rules and procedures to:
(1)  protect the eligibility of organic cotton growers to be certified by the commissioner;
(2)  ensure that organic and transitional certification by the commissioner continue to meet national certification standards in order for organic cotton to maintain international marketability;  and
(3)  in all events maintain the effectiveness of the boll weevil or pink bollworm eradication program administered under this subchapter.
(b)  The board may not treat or require treatment of organic cotton fields with chemicals that are not approved for use on certified organic cotton.  Plow-up may be required as an alternative to chemicals.  Rules adopted under Subsection (a) may provide indemnity for the organic cotton growers for reasonable losses that result from a prohibition of production of organic cotton or from any requirement of destruction of organic cotton.  If time is reasonably available for the production of an economically feasible alternative crop, the board may require mitigation of losses with the production of an alternative crop.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 1, eff. June 1, 1993.  Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 227, Sec. 19, eff. Sept. 1, 1995;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 463, Sec. 1.23, eff. May 30, 1997.