SRC-JXG S.C.R. 40 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.C.R. 40
76R5678 CCK-DBy: Shapleigh
Border Affairs - Special
4/21/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas legislators participate in the National Conference of
State Legislatures, the Southern Legislative Conference, and other
interstate forums as a means of discussing issues and exchanging
information on issues common to Texas and counterpart U.S. state
governments. Collaboration with the four Mexican states located along the
Rio Grande border has been less formal and less frequent, than is the case
with our domestic legislative colleagues. The governments of Texas and the
Mexican bordering states share challenges, with the advent of NAFTA,
relating to education, health, infrastructure, trade and economic
development, workforce development, and environmental protection. It is
imperative that international relations be cemented at the federal and
state level. The goal is to establish a multilevel governmental framework
through which the five states could launch, coordinate, and complete
projects to develop the border region and improve the quality of life for
residents of both countries. The Texas Legislature finds such a goal to be
commendable and consequently beckons its presiding officers to approach
their Mexican border state counterparts to explore a forum for productive
international legislative discussion. S.C.R. 40 would require the
appropriate Texas legislative committees and their counterparts in the
Mexican legislature of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas, to
establish communications on issues pertinent to the region.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.C.R. 40 submits the following resolution:

That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby request the
lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives to initiate
efforts toward convening joint sessions among members of the appropriate
legislative committees in this state, and their counterparts in the
legislatures of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas, to
establish communications on issues pertinent to the region.