SRC-BWC C.S.S.B. 656 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 656
By: West, Royce
Administration
3/16/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Texas is one of the fastest growing states in the nation.  It had a
population of nearly 21 million in 2000 and its rate of growth has exceeded
that for the nation as a whole since the first census in 1850.  Texas is
also a diverse state geographically, economically, and in terms of the
racial/ethnic characteristics of its people.  Determining the size and
distribution, the characteristics, and the implications of Texas population
change for private and public-sector service demand and for the
socioeconomic characteristics of Texas is of clear importance for Texas
government as it plans for the state's future.  C.S.S.B. 656 creates the
Office of the Texas State Demographer and the position of state demographer
in order to ensure the continuation of effective demographic and related
socioeconomic analyses for the State of Texas. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Title 4E, Government Code, by adding Chapter 468, as
follows: 

CHAPTER 468.  STATE DEMOGRAPHER

 Sec. 468.001.  DEFINITION.  Defines "state agency."

Sec. 468.002.  DESIGNATION OF STATE DEMOGRAPHER.  Requires the governor to
appoint an employee or officer of a state agency, who is required to meet
certain requirements in order to be eligible, as the state demographer from
a list submitted by the speaker of the house of representatives and the
lieutenant governor. 

Sec. 468.003.  PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES.  Requires the state agency that
employs the person designated as the state demographer to provide the staff
and main office.  Requires the Texas Legislative Council to provide office
space and other support in Austin necessary for the state demographer to
perform duties for the legislature.   

Sec. 468.004.  POWERS AND DUTIES.  Requires the state demographer to
provide certain information, and requires the demographer to evaluate the
type and quality of data needed to adequately monitor demographic and
socioeconomic changes in the population of the state and assess the
effectiveness of delivery of state services. 

SECTION 2.  Transfers Section 88.214, Education Code, to Chapter 468,
Government Code, redesignates it as Section 468.005, Government Code, and
amends as follows: 

Sec. 468.005.  ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF THE CENSUS
FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATIVE.  Requires the state agency, rather than the
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, that employs the state demographer
to serve as the official cognizant administrator for the State of Texas of
the United States Bureau of the Census federal-state cooperative programs
for population estimates and projections, and as the coordinating agency
for the State Data Center program. 

SECTION 3.  Requires the speaker of the house of representatives and the
lieutenant governor, as soon as is practicable after the effective date of
the Act, to submit to the governor their list of potential appointees.
Provides that for purposes of Section 12, Article 4, Texas Constitution,
the state demographer is a state officer. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 2001.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

SECTION 1.  Differs from As Filed version by placing the authority to
appoint an employee or officer of a state agency as the state demographer
with the governor, rather than the lieutenant governor as in the original. 

SECTION 2.  No Change.

SECTION 3.  Adds a new SECTION 3 regarding the submitting of  the list for
potential appointees. 

SECTION 4.  Renumbers proposed SECTION 3 as SECTION 4.