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.