1-1 By: Hudson (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 1457 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1995; 1-3 May 12, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on State 1-4 Affairs; May 25, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 25, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to review of enforcement of the federal fair housing laws 1-9 in this state. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 2306, Government Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Section 2306.101 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 2306.101. REVIEW OF FAIR HOUSING LAWS. (a) The 1-14 department, through the community affairs division, shall review: 1-15 (1) the extent to which violations of the federal fair 1-16 housing laws exist in government subsidized housing in this state; 1-17 (2) the methods used by the federal government under 1-18 those laws to remedy racial discrimination relating to the 1-19 subsidized housing; and 1-20 (3) the effectiveness of those methods in remedying 1-21 the discrimination. 1-22 (b) The department periodically shall report its findings to 1-23 the attorney general. The attorney general shall forward to the 1-24 appropriate federal authorities any information contained in the 1-25 findings that shows a lack of effective enforcement of the federal 1-26 fair housing laws. In addition, the attorney general shall send to 1-27 the appropriate federal authorities recommendations to increase the 1-28 effective enforcement of those laws in this state. 1-29 (c) The department shall conduct its review under Subsection 1-30 (a) in a manner that does not duplicate other efforts of the 1-31 department or efforts of other state agencies and does not gather 1-32 information previously gathered by a state agency. Agencies of the 1-33 state are specifically directed to provide the department with 1-34 information determined by those agencies to assist the department 1-35 in carrying out its duties under this section. 1-36 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-41 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-42 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-43 * * * * *