By Flores H.B. No. 1171 77R4031 JMG-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to establishing task forces in certain border communities 1-3 to study impediments to trade in the border region. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: 1-6 (1) "Border region" means the area composed of the 1-7 counties of Brewster, Cameron, Culberson, Dimmit, El Paso, Hidalgo, 1-8 Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Presidio, Starr, 1-9 Terrell, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala. 1-10 (2) "Task force" means a border community trade task 1-11 force established under this Act. 1-12 SECTION 2. BORDER COMMUNITY TRADE TASK FORCE. The lieutenant 1-13 governor and speaker of the house of representatives shall 1-14 establish a border community trade task force for each of the four 1-15 municipalities with the largest populations in the border region to 1-16 identify procedural and infrastructure impediments to the free flow 1-17 of trade between the United States and Mexico along the border 1-18 region and make findings and recommendations as considered 1-19 appropriate regarding those trade impediments. 1-20 SECTION 3. MEMBERSHIP; OFFICERS. (a) As soon as practicable 1-21 after the effective date of this Act, the speaker of the house of 1-22 representatives and lieutenant governor jointly shall appoint not 1-23 more than 25 members to serve on each task force. 1-24 (b) Each task force must include: 2-1 (1) one person representing each agency of the United 2-2 States with jurisdiction over international trade, international 2-3 commerce, or transportation issues; 2-4 (2) one person representing each governmental agency 2-5 of Mexico; 2-6 (3) one person representing the Texas Department of 2-7 Transportation; 2-8 (4) one person representing the Department of Public 2-9 Safety; 2-10 (5) one person representing the interests of local 2-11 customs brokers; 2-12 (6) one person representing the interests of freight 2-13 forwarders; 2-14 (7) one person representing the interests of motor 2-15 carriers; 2-16 (8) one person representing the interests of drayage 2-17 carriers; and 2-18 (9) one person representing the local maquiladora 2-19 industry. 2-20 (c) The speaker of the house of representatives and 2-21 lieutenant governor shall jointly select the presiding officer of 2-22 each task force from among the task force members. A task force may 2-23 designate other officers as the task force considers appropriate. 2-24 SECTION 4. ASSISTANCE; EXPENSES. (a) Each task force may 2-25 request assistance and information, other than confidential 2-26 information relating to an individual, from the Department of 2-27 Public Safety and the Texas Department of Transportation. The 3-1 departments shall provide the assistance and information requested 3-2 to the extent practicable. 3-3 (b) The expenses of each task force, including the 3-4 compensation of necessary staff, may be paid from any appropriate 3-5 funds of the house of representatives and the senate. The 3-6 legislature may appropriate money for the support of each task 3-7 force. 3-8 SECTION 5. TASK FORCE DUTIES. (a) Each task force shall 3-9 study and evaluate the procedures and practices maintained at the 3-10 port of entry between Texas and Mexico nearest to the municipality 3-11 represented by the task force to determine what modifications could 3-12 be made to expedite the flow of trade from Mexico, including: 3-13 (1) identifying the cause of traffic congestion at the 3-14 border crossing from Mexico; 3-15 (2) reviewing customs brokers practices, including the 3-16 batch release process; 3-17 (3) reviewing the drayage business and drayage 3-18 concerns; 3-19 (4) reviewing and considering the standardization of 3-20 the hours of operation for financial institutions, customs brokers, 3-21 United States Customs Service offices, and maquiladoras along the 3-22 Texas-Mexico border; 3-23 (5) determining the feasibility of establishing a 3-24 program authorizing the Department of Public Safety officers or 3-25 inspectors certified by the department to conduct commercial 3-26 vehicle and driver safety inspections in Mexico; 3-27 (6) reviewing United States Customs Service practices 4-1 to determine what procedures and processes need to be changed to 4-2 permit a precleared Mexican commercial vehicle to bypass the 4-3 primary customs inspection point; 4-4 (7) determining the feasibility of interagency 4-5 agreements that would allow a state agency to administer the laws 4-6 of this state relating to the registration of motor carriers and 4-7 the inspection of commercial motor vehicles for another state 4-8 agency; and 4-9 (8) identifying the federal and state infrastructure 4-10 and manpower resources necessary to expedite the free flow of trade 4-11 across the border crossing from Mexico. 4-12 (b) Each task force shall also study the primary and 4-13 secondary inspection processes relating to motor carrier safety 4-14 regulations and commercial driver's licensure requirements 4-15 administered by the Department of Public Safety to determine which 4-16 of those processes, regulations, and requirements may be automated 4-17 to expedite the free flow of trade across the border crossing from 4-18 Mexico. 4-19 (c) Each task force shall focus on analyzing current 4-20 situations and developing solutions in anticipation of the removal 4-21 of geographical access barriers on Mexican commercial trucks. 4-22 SECTION 6. REPORTS. Not later than December 31, 2002, each 4-23 task force shall file a report of the task force's activities, 4-24 findings, and recommendations with the lieutenant governor and the 4-25 speaker of the house of representatives. Each report shall include 4-26 any recommendations for legislative or administrative action 4-27 the task force considers appropriate. 5-1 SECTION 7. EXPIRATION. The task forces are abolished and 5-2 this Act expires September 1, 2003. 5-3 SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect 5-4 immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members 5-5 elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, 5-6 Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote 5-7 necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 5-8 2001.