(a) The commissioner may grant a request for declaration of an area in Texas as functionally eradicated after a written recommendation is submitted to the department from 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 department will recognize as functionally eradicated any areas outside of Texas that are declared functionally eradicated by that state's department of agriculture if that state's definition of a functionally eradicated area is equivalent to the definition of a functionally eradicated area in §20.1 of this chapter (relating to Definitions).(c) The department has determined that the definitions of a functionally eradicated area of New Mexico and Oklahoma departments of agriculture are equivalent to the definition of a functionally eradicated area in §20.1 of this chapter.