By: Truan, et al. S.B. No. 1599
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the creation of the Texas-Mexico Border Environmental
1-2 Education Council.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 11, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-5 Subchapter I to read as follows:
1-6 SUBCHAPTER I. TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER
1-7 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COUNCIL
1-8 Sec. 11.971. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "council"
1-9 means the Texas-Mexico Border Environmental Education Council.
1-10 Sec. 11.972. TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
1-11 COUNCIL. (a) The Texas-Mexico Border Environmental Education
1-12 Council is created under the jurisdiction of the agency.
1-13 (b) The council consists of:
1-14 (1) six members appointed by the governor, one member
1-15 from each of the five border regional education service centers and
1-16 one member appointed at large; and
1-17 (2) the directors of the Region 1 and Region 19
1-18 education service centers, who serve ex officio.
1-19 (c) The at-large member serves as the presiding officer of
1-20 the council.
1-21 (d) The Region 1 and Region 19 education service centers
1-22 shall coordinate the council.
1-23 Sec. 11.973. COMPENSATION. Service on the council by a
1-24 state officer or employee is an additional duty of a council
2-1 member's office or employment. A council member is not entitled to
2-2 compensation as a council member but is entitled to reimbursement
2-3 of the member's travel expenses under provisions in the General
2-4 Appropriations Act.
2-5 Sec. 11.974. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The council shall:
2-6 (1) establish a communication network among
2-7 governmental and private entities in order to broaden and
2-8 facilitate the exchange of ideas and planning strategies to find
2-9 workable solutions to environmental conditions along the
2-10 Texas-Mexico border;
2-11 (2) create environmental education programs informally
2-12 through state agencies, community-based groups, and industry;
2-13 (3) jointly implement, with public schools and
2-14 communities, school and community outreach workshops to:
2-15 (A) address environmental problems in the
2-16 community and the region;
2-17 (B) increase environmental awareness among
2-18 children and adults; and
2-19 (C) develop skills in adults and children to
2-20 enable them to actively promote conservation and pollution
2-21 prevention measures;
2-22 (4) suggest mechanisms to guarantee local involvement
2-23 in identifying urban and economic development plans that could
2-24 affect community residents' physical environment;
2-25 (5) study and compare state legislative initiatives in
2-26 the United States and Mexico that support environmental programs;
2-27 (6) encourage the establishment of enterprises or
3-1 technologies that promote sustainable development;
3-2 (7) develop a border environmental programs resource
3-3 directory;
3-4 (8) develop and implement mechanisms for coordinating
3-5 council proposals across the Texas-Mexico border and among Mexican
3-6 states, including proposals for comprehensive courses on the
3-7 environment and conservation in schools in the Mexican border
3-8 states; and
3-9 (9) examine the possibility of formal cooperation with
3-10 international environmental institutions, including the Border
3-11 Environment Cooperation Commission and the U.S.-Mexico Border
3-12 Health Commission.
3-13 (b) The council may create environmental education programs
3-14 through optional formal curriculum courses in public schools and
3-15 institutions of higher education. Before creating an environmental
3-16 education program through an optional formal curriculum course in
3-17 public schools, the council, after adequate notice, shall provide
3-18 an opportunity for public comment on the proposed curriculum
3-19 course.
3-20 (c) The council shall coordinate its activities with any
3-21 appropriate advisory committee established by the agency under
3-22 Subchapter H and with the Office of Texas-Mexico Health and
3-23 Environmental Issues established under Subchapter F, Chapter 12,
3-24 Health and Safety Code.
3-25 Sec. 11.975. PARTICIPATION BY AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS OF
3-26 HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) The following entities shall coordinate
3-27 with the council in order to implement this subchapter:
4-1 (1) the agency;
4-2 (2) the Parks and Wildlife Department;
4-3 (3) the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
4-4 Commission;
4-5 (4) any border institution of higher education
4-6 designated by the council; and
4-7 (5) any other state agency designated by the council.
4-8 (b) In this section, "institution of higher education" has
4-9 the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
4-10 Sec. 11.976. GIFTS AND GRANTS. (a) The council may accept
4-11 gifts and grants made to the council for the purposes of this
4-12 subchapter.
4-13 (b) Money received under this section shall be credited to a
4-14 separate account in the general revenue fund and may be used only
4-15 for the purposes of this subchapter. Sections 403.094 and 403.095,
4-16 Government Code, do not apply to the account created under this
4-17 subsection.
4-18 Sec. 11.977. STAFF. The agency may make available to the
4-19 council any agency staff or supplies that the agency considers
4-20 necessary to assist the council in the performance of its duties
4-21 under this subchapter.
4-22 Sec. 11.978. APPROPRIATIONS. Except as provided by Section
4-23 11.976 and Section 54, Article III, Central Education Agency, H.B.
4-24 No. 1, Acts of the 74th Legislature, 1995, no general revenues may
4-25 be used for the purposes of this subchapter for the biennium ending
4-26 August 31, 1997.
4-27 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
5-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-6 passage, and it is so enacted.