AN ACT
1-1 relating to coordinating colonia initiatives.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is
1-4 amended by adding Section 402.029 to read as follows:
1-5 Sec. 402.029. COORDINATION OF COLONIA INITIATIVES. (a) In
1-6 this section:
1-7 (1) "Agency" includes a state office, institution, or
1-8 other state governmental entity.
1-9 (2) "Colonia" means a geographic area that:
1-10 (A) has a majority of its population composed of
1-11 individuals and families of low income and very low income, based
1-12 on the federal Office of Management and Budget poverty index; and
1-13 (B) is an economically distressed area as
1-14 defined by Section 17.921, Water Code.
1-15 (b) The following agencies shall designate an officer or
1-16 employee of the agency to serve as the agency's coordinator of
1-17 colonia initiatives:
1-18 (1) the office of the attorney general;
1-19 (2) the Texas Education Agency;
1-20 (3) the Texas Department of Health;
1-21 (4) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
1-22 Affairs;
1-23 (5) the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
2-1 Commission;
2-2 (6) the Texas Water Development Board;
2-3 (7) The University of Texas--Pan American; and
2-4 (8) the Texas Workforce Commission.
2-5 (c) Each agency's coordinator of colonia initiatives must be
2-6 the equivalent of a deputy executive director at the agency or have
2-7 direct or indirect authority over the equivalent of a deputy
2-8 executive director at the agency.
2-9 (d) Each agency's coordinator of colonia initiatives shall
2-10 coordinate colonia initiatives within the agency and with the other
2-11 agencies listed in Subsection (b).
2-12 (e) The attorney general's coordinator of colonia
2-13 initiatives shall preside over the group of coordinators for
2-14 purposes of interagency coordination.
2-15 (f) The group of coordinators shall meet at least
2-16 semiannually at the call of the attorney general's coordinator or
2-17 according to a schedule established by the group.
2-18 (g) Representatives of each agency listed in Subsection (b)
2-19 who are assigned to duty at an office of the agency near the
2-20 international border of this state and whose assigned duties
2-21 include responsibility for some aspect of the agency's work with
2-22 colonias or with residents of colonias shall meet with each other
2-23 according to a schedule established by the representatives to
2-24 coordinate colonia initiatives at the local level. Representatives
2-25 from the agencies' offices that serve the same county or counties
3-1 may meet together, or representatives from all of the agencies'
3-2 offices near the international border may meet together.
3-3 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
3-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-9 passage, and it is so enacted.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1514 passed the Senate on
April 3, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 1997, by the
following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1514 passed the House, with
amendment, on May 22, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 144,
Nays 1, one present not voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor