1-1 By: Truan, et al. S.B. No. 304 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 28, 1999; February 1, 1999, 1-3 read first time and referred to Special Committee on Border 1-4 Affairs; April 7, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 7, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to coordinating colonia initiatives. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Title 7, Government Code, is amended by adding 1-11 Chapter 775 to read as follows: 1-12 CHAPTER 775. COORDINATION OF COLONIA INITIATIVES 1-13 Sec. 775.001. DEFINITIONS. In this section: 1-14 (1) "Agency" includes a state office, institution, or 1-15 other state governmental entity. 1-16 (2) "Colonia" means a geographic area that: 1-17 (A) has a majority of its population composed of 1-18 individuals and families of low income and very low income, based 1-19 on the federal Office of Management and Budget poverty index; and 1-20 (B) is an economically distressed area as 1-21 defined by Section 17.921, Water Code. 1-22 Sec. 775.002. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION OF COLONIA 1-23 INITIATIVES. (a) The following agencies shall designate an 1-24 officer or employee of the agency to serve as the agency's 1-25 coordinator of colonia initiatives: 1-26 (1) the office of the attorney general; 1-27 (2) the Texas Education Agency; 1-28 (3) the Texas Department of Health; 1-29 (4) the Texas Department of Housing and Community 1-30 Affairs; 1-31 (5) the Texas Natural Resource Conservation 1-32 Commission; 1-33 (6) the Texas Water Development Board; 1-34 (7) The University of Texas--Pan American; and 1-35 (8) the Texas Workforce Commission. 1-36 (b) Each agency's coordinator of colonia initiatives must be 1-37 the equivalent of a deputy executive director at the agency or have 1-38 direct or indirect authority over the equivalent of a deputy 1-39 executive director at the agency. 1-40 (c) Each agency's coordinator of colonia initiatives shall 1-41 coordinate colonia initiatives within the agency and with the other 1-42 agencies listed in Subsection (a). 1-43 (d) The Texas Water Development Board's coordinator of 1-44 colonia initiatives shall preside over the group of coordinators 1-45 for purposes of interagency coordination. 1-46 (e) The group of coordinators shall meet at least 1-47 semiannually at the call of the Texas Water Development Board's 1-48 coordinator or according to a schedule established by the group. 1-49 (f) Representatives of each agency listed in Subsection (a) 1-50 who are assigned to duty at an office of the agency near the 1-51 international border of this state and whose assigned duties 1-52 include responsibility for some aspect of the agency's work with 1-53 colonias or with residents of colonias shall meet with each other 1-54 according to a schedule established by the representatives to 1-55 coordinate colonia initiatives at the local level. Representatives 1-56 from the agencies' offices that serve the same county or counties 1-57 may meet together, or representatives from all of the agencies' 1-58 offices near the international border may meet together. 1-59 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-60 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-61 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-62 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-63 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-64 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-1 passage, and it is so enacted. 2-2 * * * * *