By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 2259
         77R1435 MCK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the designation and functions of a state demographer.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
 1-5     by adding Chapter 468 to read as follows:
 1-6                       CHAPTER 468.  STATE DEMOGRAPHER
 1-7           Sec. 468.001.  DEFINITION.  In this section, "state agency"
 1-8     means a department, commission, board, office, or other agency in
 1-9     the executive branch of state government, including a university
1-10     system or institution of higher education as defined by Section
1-11     61.003, Education Code.
1-12           Sec. 468.002.  DESIGNATION OF STATE DEMOGRAPHER.  (a)  The
1-13     lieutenant governor shall designate an employee or officer of a
1-14     state agency as the state demographer.
1-15           (b)  To be eligible for designation as state demographer, a
1-16     person must have:
1-17                 (1)  a graduate degree with specialization in
1-18     demography or a closely related field of study; and
1-19                 (2)  extensive experience in employing demographic and
1-20     related socioeconomic data for use by legislative, public, and
1-21     private entities.
1-22           Sec. 468.003.  PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES.  (a)  The state
1-23     agency that employs the person designated as the state demographer
1-24     shall provide:
 2-1                 (1)  staff necessary for the state demographer to
 2-2     perform the demographer's duties; and
 2-3                 (2)  the main office for the state demographer.
 2-4           (b)  The Texas Legislative Council shall provide office space
 2-5     and other support in Austin necessary for the state demographer to
 2-6     perform the demographer's duties for the legislature.
 2-7           Sec. 468.004.  POWERS AND DUTIES.  The state demographer
 2-8     shall:
 2-9                 (1)  disseminate demographic and related socioeconomic
2-10     data to the public, with emphasis on data that may be useful to
2-11     public policy makers;
2-12                 (2)  provide annual population estimates for all
2-13     counties and municipalities in the state;
2-14                 (3)  provide biennial population projections for the
2-15     state and all counties of the state;
2-16                 (4)  provide information to the legislature relating to
2-17     the impact that demographic and socioeconomic changes in the
2-18     population of the state have on the demand for state services; and
2-19                 (5)  evaluate the type and quality of data needed to:
2-20                       (A)  adequately monitor demographic and
2-21     socioeconomic changes in the population of the state; and
2-22                       (B)  assess the effectiveness of delivery of
2-23     state services.
2-24           SECTION 2. Section 88.214, Education Code, is transferred to
2-25     Chapter 468, Government Code, redesignated as Section 468.005,
2-26     Government Code, and amended to read as follows:
2-27           Sec. 468.005 [88.214].  ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES
 3-1     BUREAU OF THE CENSUS FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATIVE.  The state agency
 3-2     that employs the state demographer [Texas Agricultural Experiment
 3-3     Station] shall serve as the official cognizant administrator for
 3-4     the State of Texas of the United States Bureau of the Census
 3-5     federal-state cooperative program for population estimates and the
 3-6     federal-state cooperative program for population projections and as
 3-7     coordinating agency for the State Data Center program.
 3-8           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.