Enhanced Protections for Consumers at the Fuel Pump

As Texas drivers prepare for the holiday weekend, I was pleased to travel to Houston and Dallas today where I introduced a series of program enhancements to put consumers in the driver’s seat when it comes to getting what they pay for at the fuel pump.

A new consumer information sticker is now required to be placed on all Texas fuel pumps and links consumers to a new mobile website, www.TexasAgriculture.gov/fuel, via their smartphones. From there, they can view pump inspection history and submit on-site complaints about the fuel station directly to the Texas Department of Agriculture if they suspect they are being shortchanged when topping off their tanks.

Additionally, retailers operating non-compliant pumps will now be fined up to $5,000 and have their fuel devices tagged out-of-order. Along with doubling, quadrupling or increasing penalties as much as tenfold, a new zero-tolerance policy also eliminates any grace period for those retailers failing to register their pumps.

Fortunately, 93 percent of all Texas retail fuel pumps registered with the Texas Department of Agriculture are found to be compliant with the laws. This new sticker, website and penalty structure are aimed at those bad apples that cheat Texas drivers out of their hard-earned money and cheat businesses in their own industry out of fair competition.

Travel safely this Labor Day weekend and go with peace of mind knowing you can now take action to ensure true value for your dollar at the pump.

Austin Hosts Texas Food Safety Conference

Food safety is a critical issue for all of us, which is why I’m glad to be a part of the Texas Food Safety Conference in Austin, May 10-11.

Hosted by the state’s leading produce associations, farmers, regulators and experts, the conference will focus on enhancing produce safety and finding ways to identify and prevent foodborne illnesses before they become public health concerns.

Farmers, ranchers and others in the agriculture industry are often our first line of defense in the prevention of illnesses and food recalls. Events like the Texas Food Safety Conference can add another layer of consumer protection while ensuring we all continue to enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply in the world.

For more information on the Texas Food Safety Conference, click here.

Tangible evidence the market responds

An East Texas friend of mine was pretty upset (most Texans get this way pretty quickly when the federal government tries to impose a mandate on them) when our federal government proposed to mandate a national animal identification system and when they mandated Country of Origin Labeling, referred to as COOL. My initial thought was this: if consumers want their food sources verified, they will demonstrate it through their buying preferences.

A recent article found in the on-line version of cattlenetwork provides tangible proof the market will respond without Washington imposing a costly and certainly burdensome system. Because of an international market demand and trade agreement with Japan, U.S. Premium Beef is offering an age and source verification premium on cattle. Notice the theme in the drivers behind that decision? Answer: the market.

Consumer Protection bill heads to Governor's desk

The House and Senate have passed HB 2925 by Rep. Herrero and Sen. Whitmire. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

This important piece of legislation will strengthen the Texas Department of Agriculture’s consumer protection efforts. When the bill becomes law, TDA inspectors will begin testing fuel quality. Up until now, no state agency has been checking to see if gas and diesel were meeting national standards or if the fuel is contaminated with water. Equally concerning, no consumer had a state agency to call if they felt there were fuel quality issues.

Also, fuel pumps at stations across Texas will have more oversight to make sure when drivers pump a gallon of gasoline, they receive a full gallon. An important note, approximately 95 percent of fuel pumps in the Lone Star State are accurate. HB 2925 will give the TDA the tools to begin more risk-based oversight of Texas fuel stations. One Texan cheated is one too many, so with high rates of compliance inspectors can NOW focus on the small number of bad actors and hold them accountable.

We look forward to implementing these new rules and reaching out to Texans so they understand the new protections and how they can assist us in making sure they receive exactly what they pay for at the pump.

Senate Finance Committee Testimony

Wednesday, I testified before the Senate Finance Committee and discussed the Texas Department of Agriculture’s 2010-2011 budget request. TDA has taken on many additional responsibilities over the past few years and we hope to improve upon these services.

After holding discussions with producers, agribusinesses and professionals all across the state, we identified several exceptional items we believe need additional resources to better serve and protect all Texans.

TDA’s four main priorities are Agricultural Biosecurity, Consumer Protection, Economic Development and Healthy Lifestyles. I look forward to working with our dedicated members in the House and Senate as they draft a budget that ensures Texans receive necessary and efficient services that maximize the investment of state dollars.