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.
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