By Sibley S.B. No. 1597 76R8931 BDH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation and operation of the Texas Commission on 1-3 Men. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 4, Government Code, is amended 1-6 by adding Chapter 468 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 468. TEXAS COMMISSION ON MEN 1-8 SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 1-9 Sec. 468.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter, "commission" 1-10 means the Texas Commission on Men. 1-11 Sec. 468.002. SUNSET PROVISION. The Texas Commission on Men 1-12 is subject to Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued in 1-13 existence as provided by that chapter, the commission is abolished 1-14 and this chapter expires September 1, 2004. 1-15 Sec. 468.003. COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION. The commission 1-16 consists of 24 members appointed by the governor with the advice 1-17 and consent of the senate. Each member must be a medical or 1-18 academic expert or community leader in the area of men's health or 1-19 family involvement or an active member of an organization active in 1-20 men's health or family involvement issues. 1-21 Sec. 468.004. APPOINTMENT. (a) Appointments to the 1-22 commission shall be made without regard to the race, color, 1-23 disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the 1-24 appointees. 2-1 (b) Appointments to the commission shall be made so that 2-2 each geographic area of the state is represented on the commission. 2-3 Sec. 468.005. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST; REMOVAL PROVISIONS. 2-4 (a) A person may not serve as a member of the commission if the 2-5 person is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 2-6 because of the person's activities for compensation on behalf of a 2-7 profession related to the operation of the commission. 2-8 (b) It is a ground for removal from the commission if a 2-9 member: 2-10 (1) violates a prohibition established by this 2-11 section; 2-12 (2) cannot because of illness or disability discharge 2-13 the member's duties for a substantial part of the term for which 2-14 the member is appointed; or 2-15 (3) is absent from more than half of the regularly 2-16 scheduled commission meetings that the member is eligible to attend 2-17 during a calendar year unless the absence is excused by majority 2-18 vote of the commission. 2-19 (c) The validity of an action of the commission is not 2-20 affected by the fact that it is taken when a ground for removal of 2-21 a commission member exists. 2-22 (d) If a member of the commission has knowledge that a 2-23 potential ground for removal exists, the member shall notify the 2-24 presiding officer of the commission of the potential ground. The 2-25 presiding officer shall then notify the governor and the attorney 2-26 general that a potential ground for removal exists. 2-27 Sec. 468.006. TERMS. Members of the commission serve terms 3-1 of two years. 3-2 Sec. 468.007. OFFICERS; SUBCOMMITTEES. (a) The commission 3-3 annually shall elect one of its members as presiding officer. 3-4 (b) The presiding officer of the commission may appoint 3-5 subcommittees for any purpose consistent with the duties of the 3-6 commission under this chapter. 3-7 Sec. 468.008. COMPENSATION; EXPENSES. A member of the 3-8 commission is not entitled to compensation, but is entitled to 3-9 reimbursement from commission funds for the travel expenses 3-10 incurred by the member while conducting the business of the 3-11 commission, as provided by the General Appropriations Act. 3-12 Sec. 468.009. MEETINGS; PUBLIC ACCESS. (a) The commission 3-13 may meet at the times and places that the commission designates. 3-14 (b) The commission shall develop and implement policies that 3-15 provide the public with a reasonable opportunity to appear before 3-16 the commission and to speak on any issue under the jurisdiction of 3-17 the commission. 3-18 Sec. 468.010. ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT. The commission shall 3-19 prepare annually a complete and detailed written report accounting 3-20 for all funds received and disbursed by the commission during the 3-21 preceding fiscal year. The annual report must meet the reporting 3-22 requirements applicable to financial reporting provided in the 3-23 General Appropriations Act. 3-24 (Sections 468.011-468.030 reserved for expansion) 3-25 SUBCHAPTER B. POWERS AND DUTIES; FUNDING 3-26 Sec. 468.031. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION. The 3-27 commission shall: 4-1 (1) adopt rules as necessary for its own procedures; 4-2 (2) develop strategies and programs, including 4-3 community outreach and public-private partnerships, designed to: 4-4 (A) raise public awareness of critical men's 4-5 issues, including the dangers of cancer, heart disease, and drugs 4-6 and alcohol abuse, and the importance of paternal influence in the 4-7 family; and 4-8 (B) encourage the participation of men and boys 4-9 in healthy behaviors, academic achievement, and family involvement; 4-10 (3) organize community workshops to identify issues 4-11 affecting men's health and family involvement; 4-12 (4) monitor state and federal policy and legislation 4-13 that may affect the areas of men's health and family involvement; 4-14 (5) recommend assistance, services, and policy changes 4-15 that will further the goals of the commission; and 4-16 (6) submit a report of its findings and 4-17 recommendations under this chapter to the governor, the lieutenant 4-18 governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives not later 4-19 than October 1 of each even-numbered year. 4-20 Sec. 468.032. DONATIONS; APPROPRIATIONS; AUDIT. The 4-21 commission may solicit and accept donations, gifts, grants, 4-22 property, or matching funds from a public or private source for the 4-23 use of the commission in performing its functions under this 4-24 chapter. 4-25 Sec. 468.033. TEXAS COMMISSION ON MEN ACCOUNT. The Texas 4-26 Commission on Men Account is created as an account in the general 4-27 revenue fund. The commission shall remit all money collected under 5-1 this chapter to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the 5-2 account. Money in the account may be appropriated only to the 5-3 commission for administration of this chapter. 5-4 SECTION 2. As soon as possible after the effective date of 5-5 this Act, the governor shall appoint initial members of the Texas 5-6 Commission on Men. 5-7 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 5-8 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 5-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.