Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 649 amends provisions of the Government Code relating to the annual meeting of the heads of certain state agencies to discuss rural issues to add 13 new agencies and any other agency interested in rural issues. The bill requires meetings to take place in Austin and requires each agency represented to provide information showing the agency's impact on rural communities for use in developing rural policy and compiling the Office of Rural Community Affairs' annual report on the condition of rural communities. House Bill 649 also establishes an interagency work group composed of representatives of the 25 agencies to develop a process to allow agencies to work together on issues that face rural communities, discuss and coordinate programs and services offered to rural communities, and develop regulatory and legislative recommendations that would eliminate duplication and combine program services.