1-1 By: Lucio S.B. No. 1284
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
1-3 first time and referred to Special Committee on Border Affairs;
1-4 April 9, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 9, 1999,
1-6 sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1284 By: Lucio
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-8 AN ACT
1-9 relating to the coordination of colonia initiatives in certain
1-10 economically distressed areas.
1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12 SECTION 1. Title 7, Government Code, is amended by adding
1-13 Chapter 775 to read as follows:
1-14 CHAPTER 775. COORDINATION OF COLONIA INITIATIVES
1-15 Sec. 775.001. DEFINITIONS. In this section:
1-16 (1) "Agency" means a state office, institution, or
1-17 other state governmental entity.
1-18 (2) "Colonia" means a geographic area that:
1-19 (A) is an economically distressed area as
1-20 defined by Section 17.921, Water Code; and
1-21 (B) is located in a county any part of which is
1-22 within 50 miles of an international border.
1-23 Sec. 775.002. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION OF COLONIA
1-24 INITIATIVES. (a) The governor may designate an agency to act as
1-25 the state's colonia initiatives coordinator.
1-26 (b) If appointed under Subsection (a), the colonia
1-27 initiatives coordinator shall coordinate colonia initiatives within
1-28 the agency and with the other agencies and local officials involved
1-29 in colonia projects in the state.
1-30 (c) The colonia initiatives coordinator may work with the
1-31 other agencies and local officials involved in colonia projects in
1-32 the state to:
1-33 (1) coordinate efforts to address colonia issues;
1-34 (2) identify nonprofit self-help groups to help with
1-35 colonia initiatives;
1-36 (3) set goals for each state fiscal year for colonia
1-37 initiatives in the state, including goals to:
1-38 (A) address easement problems; and
1-39 (B) ensure that water and wastewater connections
1-40 are extended from distribution lines to houses located in colonias;
1-41 and
1-42 (4) ensure that the goals set under this subsection
1-43 are met each state fiscal year.
1-44 (d) The following agencies shall designate an officer or
1-45 employee of the agency to serve as the agency's liaison for colonia
1-46 initiatives:
1-47 (1) the office of the attorney general;
1-48 (2) the Texas Department of Health;
1-49 (3) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
1-50 Affairs;
1-51 (4) the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
1-52 Commission; and
1-53 (5) the Texas Water Development Board.
1-54 (e) Each agency's liaison for colonia initiatives under
1-55 Subsection (d) must be a deputy executive director or a person of
1-56 equivalent or higher authority at the agency. This subsection does
1-57 not authorize the creation of a new position for colonia
1-58 coordination at a state agency.
1-59 Sec. 775.003. COLONIA OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM. The colonia
1-60 initiatives coordinator may appoint a colonia ombudsman in each of
1-61 the six border counties that the coordinator determines have the
1-62 largest colonia population.
1-63 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-64 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-5 * * * * *