1-1     By:  Solis (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh)                H.B. No. 931
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001;
 1-3     May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Business
 1-4     and Commerce; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to a coordinated economic development plan for the state.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Chapter 481, Government Code, is amended by
1-11     adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
1-12              SUBCHAPTER G. STATEWIDE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
1-13           Sec. 481.101.  COORDINATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The
1-14     department, in consultation with the comptroller, shall develop a
1-15     coordinated, comprehensive economic development plan to provide for
1-16     the orderly development and management of economic development in
1-17     this state.  The plan must provide for:
1-18                 (1)  establishing goals and standards to measure
1-19     whether state efforts are having a positive economic effect;
1-20                 (2)  tracking benefits and wage and retention
1-21     performance measures; and
1-22                 (3)  reevaluating economic development initiatives that
1-23     offer fewer benefits in relation to their costs.
1-24           Sec. 481.102.  INITIAL PLAN; UPDATES. (a)  No later than
1-25     September 1, 2002, the department shall adopt the comprehensive
1-26     state economic development plan.
1-27           (b)  Each fifth following year the department, in
1-28     consultation with the comptroller, shall update the plan.
1-29           Sec. 481.103.  USE OF PLAN. (a)  The state economic
1-30     development plan shall be a guide to state economic development
1-31     policy.  The department shall take the plan into consideration in
1-32     matters coming before it.
1-33           (b)  The department shall disseminate the plan to local
1-34     governments and shall encourage the local governments to use the
1-35     suggested standards to improve efficient allocation and use of
1-36     economic development resources.
1-37           (c)  Local economic development efforts that produce a cost
1-38     to the state may adopt the goals and standards established by the
1-39     plan.
1-40           Sec. 481.104.  RULES. The department by rule shall adopt
1-41     guidance principles for the state economic development plan that
1-42     reflect the public interest of the entire state, including the
1-43     needs of rural and urban areas, economically depressed areas, and
1-44     areas experiencing significant changes in population.
1-45           Sec. 481.105.  DELIVERY OF PLAN AND UPDATES. The department
1-46     shall promptly deliver the state economic development plan and each
1-47     update of the plan to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and
1-48     the speaker of the house of representatives and present the plan
1-49     for review to the appropriate legislative committees.  The plan and
1-50     updates must include legislative recommendations that the
1-51     department believes are needed and desirable to facilitate more
1-52     voluntary economic development.
1-53           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-54     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-55     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-56     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-57     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-58                                  * * * * *