By Solis                                              H.B. No. 1872
         77R5414 JMM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to local employment impact statements required before a
 1-3     state agency may adopt a rule.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 2001.022, Government Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 2001.022.  LOCAL EMPLOYMENT IMPACT STATEMENTS.  (a)  A
 1-8     state agency shall determine whether a rule may affect a local
 1-9     economy before proposing the rule for adoption. If a state agency
1-10     determines that a proposed rule may affect a local economy, the
1-11     agency [At the request of a state agency, the Texas Employment
1-12     Commission] shall prepare a local employment impact statement for
1-13     the [a] proposed rule.  The impact statement must describe in
1-14     detail the probable effect of the rule on employment in each
1-15     geographic area affected by the rule for each year of the first
1-16     five years that the rule will be in effect and may include other
1-17     factors at the agency's [commission's] discretion.
1-18           (b)  [A state agency shall determine whether a rule may
1-19     affect a local economy before proposing the rule for adoption.  If
1-20     a state agency determines that a proposed rule may affect a local
1-21     economy, the agency shall submit to the commission a copy of the
1-22     proposed rule and other initial information that the commission
1-23     requires on a form prescribed by the commission.]
1-24           [(c)  A state agency shall submit a proposed rule to the
 2-1     commission under this section not later than the 30th day before
 2-2     the date on which the agency files notice of the proposed rule with
 2-3     the secretary of state.]
 2-4           [(d)  A state agency shall designate a liaison to furnish
 2-5     information requested by the commission during preparation of a
 2-6     local employment impact statement.]
 2-7           [(e)  The commission shall deliver the local employment
 2-8     impact statement to a state agency not later than the 25th day
 2-9     after the date on which the commission receives the proposed rule.
2-10     If the commission does not deliver the statement within this
2-11     period, the proposed rule is presumed not to affect local
2-12     employment.]
2-13           [(f)  A local employment impact statement must show:]
2-14                 [(1)  the name and title of the commission employee or
2-15     officer responsible for preparing or approving it; and]
2-16                 [(2)  the name and title of the state agency liaison.]
2-17           [(g)]  This section does not apply to the adoption of an
2-18     emergency rule.
2-19           (c) [(h)]  Failure to comply with this section does not
2-20     impair the legal effect of a rule adopted under this chapter.
2-21           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-22           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to a
2-23     rule proposed by a state agency on or after the effective date of
2-24     this Act.