By: Dutton H.B. No. 505
73R2349 CLG-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the establishment of the Commission on Economically
1-3 Disadvantaged and Minority Youth.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 3, Human Resources Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Chapter 72 to read as follows:
1-7 CHAPTER 72. COMMISSION ON ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND
1-8 MINORITY YOUTH
1-9 Sec. 72.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
1-10 (1) "Commission" means the Commission on Economically
1-11 Disadvantaged and Minority Youth.
1-12 (2) "Economically disadvantaged person" means a
1-13 person:
1-14 (A) who receives, or is a member of a family
1-15 that receives, aid to families with dependent children under
1-16 Chapter 31;
1-17 (B) who is a foster child who receives state or
1-18 local government payments;
1-19 (C) whose individual or family income is equal
1-20 to or less than:
1-21 (i) the poverty level determined in
1-22 accordance with criteria established by the director of the Office
1-23 of Management and Budget; or
1-24 (ii) 70 percent of the lower living
2-1 standard income level.
2-2 (3) "Minority" means black Americans, Hispanic
2-3 Americans, Asian Americans, and American Indians.
2-4 (4) "Youth" means a person who is at least 18 years of
2-5 age but younger than 23 years of age.
2-6 Sec. 72.002. COMMISSION. (a) The Commission on
2-7 Economically Disadvantaged and Minority Youth is established.
2-8 (b) The commission is composed of:
2-9 (1) one public member appointed by the governor;
2-10 (2) two senators appointed by the lieutenant governor;
2-11 (3) two members of the house of representatives
2-12 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and
2-13 (4) an officer or employee of the following state
2-14 agencies, appointed by the commissioner, executive director, or
2-15 administrator of that agency:
2-16 (A) Texas Youth Commission;
2-17 (B) Texas Juvenile Probation Commission;
2-18 (C) Texas Employment Commission; and
2-19 (D) Texas Department of Human Services.
2-20 (c) A member of the commission must be a person who has
2-21 expertise in or has actively participated in health issues as those
2-22 issues relate to minorities.
2-23 (d) The members of the commission appointed by the governor,
2-24 lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
2-25 shall hold an annual meeting immediately after the member agencies
2-26 appoint new members to consider if the ethnic composition of the
2-27 commission adequately represents the ethnic population of the
3-1 state. The members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor,
3-2 and speaker of the house of representatives may, by majority vote,
3-3 require a member agency to appoint a new person to the commission
3-4 to change the membership of the commission to adequately reflect
3-5 the ethnic population of the state.
3-6 (e) Commission members serve staggered two-year terms.
3-7 Sec. 72.003. PRESIDING OFFICER. The commission shall
3-8 annually elect one of its members as presiding officer.
3-9 Sec. 72.004. COMPENSATION. A member of the commission may
3-10 not receive compensation for service on the commission but is
3-11 entitled to receive reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred
3-12 for services as a member of the commission.
3-13 Sec. 72.005. MEETINGS. The commission shall meet at least
3-14 four times a year at the call of the presiding officer.
3-15 Sec. 72.006. DUTIES. The commission shall:
3-16 (1) identify and analyze issues relating to the
3-17 education and self-esteem of economically disadvantaged and
3-18 minority youth;
3-19 (2) analyze the effectiveness of state or federal job
3-20 training programs for economically disadvantaged and minority
3-21 youth;
3-22 (3) analyze policies and procedures relating to
3-23 services provided to economically disadvantaged and minority youth
3-24 and make recommendations on how to improve those services to the
3-25 member agencies and the legislature;
3-26 (4) develop a strategic plan to improve the delivery
3-27 of services to economically disadvantaged and minority youth; and
4-1 (5) study and analyze the reasons for high school
4-2 dropout rates, teen pregnancy rates, incarceration rates, and
4-3 substance abuse rates among economically disadvantaged and minority
4-4 youth.
4-5 Sec. 72.007. PAYMENT OF COSTS. (a) The member agencies on
4-6 the commission shall pay the costs of the commission and shall
4-7 provide clerical and staff support.
4-8 (b) The commission may accept other sources of funding and
4-9 staff, including volunteers.
4-10 Sec. 72.008. PROVISION OF INFORMATION. A state agency shall
4-11 submit to the commission on request any information the commission
4-12 requires under Section 72.006.
4-13 SECTION 2. As soon as possible after the effective date of
4-14 this Act, the governor shall appoint one public member to serve a
4-15 term expiring January 31, 1994. The lieutenant governor and
4-16 speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint the members
4-17 from their respective houses of the legislature to serve terms
4-18 expiring January 31, 1995. The executive directors,
4-19 administrators, and commissioners of the member agencies shall
4-20 appoint the representatives from their respective agencies to serve
4-21 terms expiring January 31, 1994.
4-22 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
4-23 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
4-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.