1-1 By: Truan, et al. S.B. No. 495
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 12, 1999; February 15, 1999,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran Affairs and
1-4 Military Installations; March 24, 1999, reported favorably, as
1-5 amended, by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; March 24, 1999,
1-6 sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Truan
1-8 Amend S.B. No. 495 on page 1, lines 52-54, by striking Subdivision
1-9 (6) in its entirety.
1-10 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-11 AN ACT
1-12 relating to the powers and duties of the Office of Defense Affairs
1-13 and Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission.
1-14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-15 SECTION 1. Section 481.0065, Government Code, is amended to
1-16 read as follows:
1-17 Sec. 481.0065. OFFICE OF DEFENSE AFFAIRS. (a) The
1-18 department shall:
1-19 (1) establish and maintain an Office of Defense
1-20 Affairs; and
1-21 (2) appoint a director to manage the Office of Defense
1-22 Affairs.
1-23 (b) The Office of Defense Affairs shall:
1-24 (1) [conduct a statewide assessment of active military
1-25 installations and current missions to prepare a proactive statewide
1-26 strategy to prevent future defense closures and realignments;]
1-27 [(2) use the assessment developed under Subdivision
1-28 (1) to assist defense-dependent communities to develop a long-term
1-29 strategy to prepare for future base realignments and closures;]
1-30 [(3)] provide information to defense-dependent
1-31 communities, the legislature, the Texas congressional delegation,
1-32 and state agencies regarding federal actions affecting military
1-33 installations and missions;
1-34 (2) [(4)] serve as a clearinghouse for:
1-35 (A) defense economic adjustment and transition
1-36 information and activities along with the Texas Business and
1-37 Community Economic Development Clearinghouse; and
1-38 (B) information about:
1-39 (i) issues related to the operating costs
1-40 and strategic value of federal military installations located in
1-41 the state; and
1-42 (ii) the loss of jobs in defense-dependent
1-43 communities and defense-related businesses;
1-44 (3) [(5)] provide assistance to defense-dependent
1-45 communities that have experienced a defense-related closure or
1-46 realignment;
1-47 (4) assist defense-dependent communities in the design
1-48 and execution of programs that enhance a community's relationship
1-49 with military installations and defense-related businesses;
1-50 (5) assist communities in the retention and recruiting
1-51 of defense-related businesses; and
1-52 (6) administer all state and federal funds intended to
1-53 assist defense-dependent communities, defense-related businesses,
1-54 or other defense-related economic development efforts.
1-55 (c) The Office of Defense Affairs shall prepare an annual
1-56 report about the active military installations, defense-dependent
1-57 communities, and defense-related businesses in this state. The
1-58 report must include:
1-59 (1) an economic impact statement describing in detail
1-60 the effect of the military on the economy of this state;
1-61 (2) a statewide assessment of active military
1-62 installations and current missions;
1-63 (3) a statewide strategy to attract defense-related
2-1 business and prevent future defense closures and realignments;
2-2 (4) a list of state and federal activities that have
2-3 significant impact on active military installations and current
2-4 missions;
2-5 (5) a statement identifying:
2-6 (A) the state and federal programs and services
2-7 that assist defense-dependent communities impacted by military base
2-8 closures or realignments and the efforts to coordinate those
2-9 programs; and
2-10 (B) the efforts to coordinate state agency
2-11 programs and services that assist defense-dependent communities in
2-12 retaining active military installations and current missions;
2-13 (6) an evaluation of initiatives to retain existing
2-14 defense-related businesses; and
2-15 (7) a list of agencies with regulations, policies,
2-16 programs, or services that impact the operating costs or strategic
2-17 value of federal military installations and activities in the state
2-18 [department may enter into an agreement with a private contractor
2-19 to perform the assessment required under Subsection (b)(1)].
2-20 (d) State agencies shall cooperate with and assist the
2-21 Office of Defense Affairs in the preparation of the report required
2-22 under Subsection (c) including providing information about
2-23 regulations, policies, programs, and services that may impact
2-24 defense-dependent communities, defense-related businesses, and the
2-25 viability of existing Texas military missions. The Office of
2-26 Defense Affairs shall submit its report to the governor and the
2-27 legislature not later than July 1 of each year.
2-28 (e) The Office of Defense Affairs shall coordinate an annual
2-29 meeting with the head of each state agency, members of the Texas
2-30 Strategic Military Planning Commission, and members of the
2-31 legislature whose districts contain active, closed, or realigned
2-32 military installations to discuss the implementation of the
2-33 recommendations outlined in the report required under Subsection
2-34 (c).
2-35 (f) The Office of Defense Affairs may enter into an
2-36 agreement with a consulting firm to provide information and
2-37 assistance on a pending decision of the United States Department of
2-38 Defense or other federal agency regarding the status of military
2-39 installations and defense-related businesses located in this state.
2-40 (g) In this section, "state agency" has the meaning assigned
2-41 by Section 2151.002.
2-42 SECTION 2. Subsections (g) and (h), Section 481.0066,
2-43 Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
2-44 (g) Chapter 2110 [Article 6252-33, Revised Statutes,] does
2-45 not apply to the commission.
2-46 (h) The commission shall:
2-47 (1) serve as an advisory committee to the Office of
2-48 Defense Affairs in the department on the effect of the military on
2-49 the economy of this state; and
2-50 (2) make recommendations regarding:
2-51 (A) [(1) the development of a contingency plan
2-52 to support and promote the military in connection with the possible
2-53 reduction, closure, or conversion of federal military bases in this
2-54 state;]
2-55 [(2)] the development of policies and plans to support
2-56 the long-term viability and prosperity of the military, active and
2-57 civilian, in this state;
2-58 (B) [(3)] the development of methods to improve
2-59 private and public employment opportunities for former members of
2-60 the military residing in this state;
2-61 (C) the development of methods to assist
2-62 defense-dependent communities in the design and execution of
2-63 programs that enhance a community's relationship with military
2-64 installations and defense-related businesses; and
2-65 (D) [(4)] the compilation of information for use
2-66 in the report required under Section 481.0065(c) [a quarterly
2-67 economic impact statement prepared by the department detailing the
2-68 effect of the military on the economy of this state].
2-69 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-1 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
3-6 * * * * *