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.