By:  Truan, et al.                                     S.B. No. 495
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the powers and duties of the Office of Defense Affairs
 1-2     and Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 481.0065, Government Code, is amended to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 481.0065.  OFFICE OF DEFENSE AFFAIRS.  (a)  The
 1-7     department shall:
 1-8                 (1)  establish and maintain an Office of Defense
 1-9     Affairs; and
1-10                 (2)  appoint a director to manage the Office of Defense
1-11     Affairs.
1-12           (b)  The Office of Defense Affairs shall:
1-13                 (1)  [conduct a statewide assessment of active military
1-14     installations and current missions to prepare a proactive statewide
1-15     strategy to prevent future defense closures and realignments;]
1-16                 [(2)  use the assessment developed under Subdivision
1-17     (1) to assist defense-dependent communities to develop a long-term
1-18     strategy to prepare for future base realignments and closures;]
1-19                 [(3)]  provide information to defense-dependent
1-20     communities, the legislature, the Texas congressional delegation,
1-21     and state agencies regarding federal actions affecting military
1-22     installations and missions;
1-23                 (2) [(4)]  serve as a clearinghouse for:
1-24                       (A)  defense economic adjustment and transition
 2-1     information and activities along with the Texas Business and
 2-2     Community Economic Development Clearinghouse; and
 2-3                       (B)  information about:
 2-4                             (i)  issues related to the operating costs
 2-5     and strategic value of federal military installations located in
 2-6     the state; and
 2-7                             (ii)  the loss of jobs in defense-dependent
 2-8     communities and defense-related businesses;
 2-9                 (3) [(5)]  provide assistance to defense-dependent
2-10     communities that have experienced a defense-related closure or
2-11     realignment;
2-12                 (4)  assist defense-dependent communities in the design
2-13     and execution of programs that enhance a community's relationship
2-14     with military installations and defense-related businesses; and
2-15                 (5)  assist communities in the retention and recruiting
2-16     of defense-related businesses.
2-17           (c)  The Office of Defense Affairs shall prepare an annual
2-18     report about the active military installations, defense-dependent
2-19     communities, and defense-related businesses in this state.  The
2-20     report must include:
2-21                 (1)  an economic impact statement describing in detail
2-22     the effect of the military on the economy of this state;
2-23                 (2)  a statewide assessment of active military
2-24     installations and current missions;
2-25                 (3)  a statewide strategy to attract defense-related
2-26     business and prevent future defense closures and realignments;
 3-1                 (4)  a list of state and federal activities that have
 3-2     significant impact on active military installations and current
 3-3     missions;
 3-4                 (5)  a statement identifying:
 3-5                       (A)  the state and federal programs and services
 3-6     that assist defense-dependent communities impacted by military base
 3-7     closures or realignments and the efforts to coordinate those
 3-8     programs; and
 3-9                       (B)  the efforts to coordinate state agency
3-10     programs and services that assist defense-dependent communities in
3-11     retaining active military installations and current missions;
3-12                 (6)  an evaluation of initiatives to retain existing
3-13     defense-related businesses; and
3-14                 (7)  a list of agencies with regulations, policies,
3-15     programs, or services that impact the operating costs or strategic
3-16     value of federal military installations and activities in the state
3-17     [department may enter into an agreement with a private contractor
3-18     to perform the assessment required under Subsection (b)(1)].
3-19           (d)  State agencies shall cooperate with and assist the
3-20     Office of Defense Affairs in the preparation of the report required
3-21     under Subsection (c) including providing information about
3-22     regulations, policies, programs, and services that may impact
3-23     defense-dependent communities, defense-related businesses, and the
3-24     viability of existing Texas military missions.  The Office of
3-25     Defense Affairs shall submit its report to the governor and the
3-26     legislature not later than July 1 of each year.
 4-1           (e)  The Office of Defense Affairs shall coordinate an annual
 4-2     meeting with the head of each state agency, members of the Texas
 4-3     Strategic Military Planning Commission, and members of the
 4-4     legislature whose districts contain active, closed, or realigned
 4-5     military installations to discuss the implementation of the
 4-6     recommendations outlined in the report required under Subsection
 4-7     (c).
 4-8           (f)  The Office of Defense Affairs may enter into an
 4-9     agreement with a consulting firm to provide information and
4-10     assistance on a pending decision of the United States Department of
4-11     Defense or other federal agency regarding the status of military
4-12     installations and defense-related businesses located in this state.
4-13           (g)  In this section, "state agency" has the meaning assigned
4-14     by Section 2151.002.
4-15           SECTION 2.  Subsections (g) and (h), Section 481.0066,
4-16     Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
4-17           (g)  Chapter 2110 [Article 6252-33, Revised Statutes,] does
4-18     not apply to the commission.
4-19           (h)  The commission shall:
4-20                 (1)  serve as an advisory committee to the Office of
4-21     Defense Affairs in the department on the effect of the military on
4-22     the economy of this state; and
4-23                 (2)  make recommendations regarding:
4-24                       (A) [(1)  the development of a contingency plan
4-25     to support and promote the military in connection with the possible
4-26     reduction, closure, or conversion of federal military bases in this
 5-1     state;]
 5-2                 [(2)]  the development of policies and plans to support
 5-3     the long-term viability and prosperity of the military, active and
 5-4     civilian, in this state;
 5-5                       (B) [(3)]  the development of methods to improve
 5-6     private and public employment opportunities for former members of
 5-7     the military residing in this state;
 5-8                       (C)  the development of methods to assist
 5-9     defense-dependent communities in the design and execution of
5-10     programs that enhance a community's relationship with military
5-11     installations and defense-related businesses; and
5-12                       (D) [(4)]  the compilation of information for use
5-13     in the report required under Section 481.0065(c) [a quarterly
5-14     economic impact statement prepared by the department detailing the
5-15     effect of the military on the economy of this state].
5-16           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
5-17           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
5-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.