TAA Members and Friends –

It has been a very busy spring with a lot happening in Austin during the legislative session, communications with the new USDA Secretary of Agriculture (also a Texan!), responding to lots of requests for information and planning for our 2026 Annual Meeting, among many other things. Please read on for updates and to learn more about how TAA has been working to positively support the Texas Aquaculture community.

TAA is still working to confirm the location of the 2026 Annual Meeting, but we should announce it very soon. The week we’ve researched at all potential locations is January 26 – 30th. It won’t be the full week, but should follow a similar pattern to last year: Day 1 – opening reception, Day 2 –  sessions, reception, banquet, and Day 3 – half day of session and tours in the afternoon. We will announce the location and other details soon!

TAA submitted a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins supporting the National Aquaculture Association’s letter to the Secretary and meeting with her team in Washington, DC, asking for reforms to relieve some of the regulatory burden on aquaculture farms. TAA received a personal reply indicating that Secretary Rollins is committed to putting producers first, and USDA will be hosting its annual aquaculture sector meeting in May. The NAA will take the lead on attendance at that meeting. A copy of TAA’s letter can be found here, and USDA’s response letter can be found here.

Separately, TAA sent an invitation to Secretary Rollins to join us for aquaculture farm tours when she plans to be in Texas. Her office responded with a personal email providing guidance on the invitation process, so an official request was submitted. We just received another email from her scheduler yesterday indicating she would not be able to join us this spring due to her many commitments in Washington, DC, but we’re still hopeful she and/or her team will be able to visit yet this year.

The second annual Taste of Palacios will take place October 25, 2025! TAA will be participating and is serving on the planning committee. TAA plans to host tastings to showcase some of the wonderful products produced by our members, so if you’re interested in supporting TAA at this event, please contact me in May. Thanks to Jim Meyn of PMAR for inviting TAA to participate. PMAR will also participate and is coordinating oyster producer participation to provide oyster sampling. It will be a fun-filled day, with over 500 attendees expected and  will be a great opportunity to highlight Texas aquaculture to the public! Plan now to come to Palacios in October. More details to come.

TAA’s Legislative Committee has been working nonstop to provide guidance on key bills that have been introduced in the Legislative Session this year. TAA was proactively contacted for input on some bills, we met virtually with one legislator’s office, and TAA provided letters of support or concern on several bills. Below is a rundown of the key bills, current status and actions taken.

SB1484 – regarding the marketing and sale of catfish and similar fish by food service establishments. Update: TAA provided a letter of support and TAA Board Member Amanda Saha testified to the Senate Committee in March; Passed unanimously on 4/9; referred to the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development (TWED) Committee for consideration (4/17); HB2976 (companion (identical) bill to SB1484) is also in the TWED Committee.

HB609 – Relating to the cleaning of a structure used to grow oysters for cultivated oyster mariculture. Update: TAA provided letter of support to Culture, Recreation & Tourism (CRT) committee members; passed House 4/25; received in Senate 4/28 and referred to the Senate Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs Committee

HB3724 –  Relating to the placement of a cultivated oyster in a natural oyster bed, a private oyster bed, or coastal waters. Update: “Laid on the table subject to call” or temporarily set aside. A companion bill was also considered in lieu of SB1215.

HB3486 – Relating to a reduction in the amount of sales and use tax collections that the owners of restaurants that purchase Texas farm-raised oysters are required to remit to the comptroller of public accounts. Update: Reported favorably from House Ways & Means Committee (4/21) without amendments

HB3487 – Relating to a reduction in the amount of sales and use tax collections that the owners of restaurants that participate in an oyster shell recycling program are required to remit to the comptroller of public accounts. Update: Reported favorably from House Ways & Means Committee (4/24) without amendments

HB3728 – Relating to the adoption by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of salinity requirements for bays and estuaries. Update: Rep. Penny Morales Shaw – the bill’s author – reached out to TAA for input. After review, the TAA Legislative Committee held a virtual meeting with Rep. Morales Shaw’s deputy policy director to share reservations about the bill, followed by sending a letter expressing the same. TAA also provided written testimony to the members of the Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism. After a committee hearing on April 23rd, the bill remains “left pending in committee.”

SB823 – Relating to required labeling of meat, poultry, shrimp, and certain related food products. Update: Referred to Senate Agriculture, Water & Environmental Development (2/7).

TAA continues to monitor relevant legislation and will provide updates. We also continue to engage with the Texas Agriculture Coalition – a beneficial partnership to help monitor bills that impact all of Texas agriculture. Please let me know if you have questions or if there are additional bills TAA should monitor and engage legislators to ensure aquaculture’s voice is represented.

If you’re not yet a TAA member, please consider joining to support our work. TAA is a membership based and supported organization, so it’s important to have your voice represented. We also need your financial support to continue providing a voice  for aquaculture to our state legislators, to USDA and other regulatory agencies that set policies directly impacting your business, as well as media. Members also enjoy a discounted registration fee for the TAA Annual Meeting!

Membership starts at $200/year for businesses and $75 for affiliates (universities, government) and students can join for only $10. For more information or to join TAA today, contact Kay at TexasAquaculture@gmail.com or call/text (703)346-2953.

If you are a member but haven’t renewed yet for 2025, please watch for communications to come soon! Your continued support is needed and is greatly appreciated.

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