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.