By Flores                                              H.B. No. 641
         77R1947 YDB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to requiring the comptroller to study the state and
 1-3     federal mandates affecting the region of the state near the border
 1-4     with Mexico.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. (a)  The comptroller of public accounts of the
 1-7     State of Texas shall study the state and federal mandates affecting
 1-8     the region of the state near the border with Mexico.  The study
 1-9     must include an examination of the following matters:
1-10                 (1)  judicial and law enforcement issues, including:
1-11                       (A)  the impact on law enforcement of the federal
1-12     judicial caseload in the border region, compared to the average
1-13     federal judicial caseload;
1-14                       (B)  the impact of federal law enforcement on the
1-15     taxes of border residents; and
1-16                       (C)  the effects of illegal drugs on the border
1-17     region;
1-18                 (2)  financial policies, including:
1-19                       (A)  the impact of the loan-to-deposit ratio on
1-20     the economy of the border region; and
1-21                       (B)  the failure of federal policies to create
1-22     adequate credit markets for the border region;
1-23                 (3)  environmental policies, including:
1-24                       (A)  the effect of water pollution on the Rio
 2-1     Grande;
 2-2                       (B)  the effect of air pollution on the border
 2-3     region; and
 2-4                       (C)  the adverse health effects of pollution on
 2-5     border residents;
 2-6                 (4)  transportation infrastructure, including:
 2-7                       (A)  the funding this state receives from the
 2-8     United States Department of Transportation compared to the volume
 2-9     of trade traffic on Texas highways; and
2-10                       (B)  the effect of overweight commercial vehicles
2-11     on border roads; and
2-12                 (5)  North American Free Trade Agreement, including:
2-13                       (A)  the effect of the agreement on worker
2-14     displacement in the cities and other areas in the border region;
2-15     and
2-16                       (B)  the impact of water and wastewater needs for
2-17     the Border Environment Cooperation Commission and the North
2-18     American Development Bank, as established under federal law.
2-19           (b)  The comptroller shall, not later than December 15, 2002,
2-20     file a written report with the lieutenant governor and the speaker
2-21     of the house of representatives about the results of the study.
2-22           SECTION 2. This Act expires February 1, 2003.
2-23           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-24     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-25     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-26     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-27     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.