By Oliveira                                            H.B. No. 564
         76R2674 WP-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a border advocacy division of the governor's office.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 772, Government Code, is amended by
 1-5     adding Section 772.010 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 772.010.  BORDER ADVOCACY DIVISION.  (a)  The governor
 1-7     shall establish a border advocacy division in the governor's office
 1-8     to:
 1-9                 (1)  examine trade issues between the United States,
1-10     Mexico, and Canada;
1-11                 (2)  act as an ombudsman for government agencies within
1-12     the Texas and Mexico border region to help reduce regulations by
1-13     improving communication and cooperation between federal, state, and
1-14     local governments;
1-15                 (3)  work with federal officials to resolve
1-16     transportation issues involving infrastructure, including roads and
1-17     bridges, to allow for the efficient movement of goods and people
1-18     across the border between Texas and Mexico;
1-19                 (4)  work with federal officials to create a unified
1-20     federal agency process to streamline border crossing needs;
1-21                 (5)  work to increase funding for the North American
1-22     Development Bank to assist in the financing of water and wastewater
1-23     facilities; and
1-24                 (6)  explore the sale of excess electric power from
 2-1     Texas to Mexico.
 2-2           (b)  The governor shall appoint a director for the division
 2-3     to serve at the will of the governor and may select the secretary
 2-4     of state as the  director.
 2-5           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-10     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-11     passage, and it is so enacted.
2-12                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
2-13           Amend H.B. No. 564 as follows:
2-14           (1)  On page 1, strike line 8 and substitute the following:
2-15           "or the office of the secretary of state as determined by the
2-16     governor.  The division shall:".
2-17           (2)  On page 2, line 3, between "governor" and "and", insert
2-18     the following:
2-19           "in the governor's office or in the office of the secretary
2-20     of state".
2-21           (3)  On page 2, between lines 4 and 5, insert the following:
2-22           "SECTION 2.  Funds appropriated by the 76th Legislature to
2-23     the governor's office for the purpose of implementing Section
2-24     772.010, Government Code, as added by this Act, shall be
2-25     transferred to the secretary of state's office if the border
2-26     advocacy division is established in the secretary of state's
2-27     office.".
 3-1           (4)  On page 2, line 5, strike "SECTION 2" and substitute
 3-2     "SECTION 3".
 3-3     76R5938 WP-D                                                 Hunter