By:  Shapleigh, Lucio                                  S.B. No. 228
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to requiring certain state agencies to study the state and
 1-3     federal mandates affecting the region of the state near the border
 1-4     with Mexico.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  (a)  State agencies shall conduct studies of the
 1-7     state and federal mandates affecting the region of the state near
 1-8     the border with Mexico as follows:
 1-9                 (1)  the attorney general's office shall study judicial
1-10     and law enforcement issues, including:
1-11                       (A)  the impact on law enforcement of the federal
1-12     judicial caseload in the border region, compared to the average
1-13     federal judicial caseload; and
1-14                       (B)  the effects of illegal drugs on the border
1-15     region;
1-16                 (2)  the comptroller's office shall study:
1-17                       (A)  the impact of federal law enforcement on the
1-18     taxes of border residents; and
1-19                       (B)  the funding this state receives from the
1-20     United States Department of Transportation compared to the volume
1-21     of trade traffic on Texas highways;
1-22                 (3)  the Texas Department of Banking shall study
1-23     financial policies, including:
1-24                       (A)  the impact of the loan-to-deposit ratio on
1-25     the economy of the border region; and
 2-1                       (B)  the failure of federal policies to create
 2-2     adequate credit markets for the border region;
 2-3                 (4)  the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
 2-4     shall study environmental policies, including:
 2-5                       (A)  the effect of water pollution on the Rio
 2-6     Grande;
 2-7                       (B)  the effect of air pollution on the border
 2-8     region; and
 2-9                       (C)  the impact of the North American Free Trade
2-10     Agreement on water and wastewater needs for the Border Environment
2-11     Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank, as
2-12     established under federal law;
2-13                 (5)  the Texas Department of Health shall study the
2-14     adverse health effects of pollution on border residents;
2-15                 (6)  the Texas Department of Transportation shall study
2-16     the transportation infrastructure, including the effect of
2-17     overweight commercial vehicles on border roads; and
2-18                 (7)  the Texas Workforce Commission shall study North
2-19     American Free Trade Agreement issues, including the effect of the
2-20     agreement on worker displacement in the cities and other areas in
2-21     the border region.
2-22           (b)  The comptroller of public accounts, office of the
2-23     attorney general, Texas Department of Banking, Texas Natural
2-24     Resource Conservation Commission, Texas Department of Health, Texas
2-25     Department of Transportation, and Texas Workforce Commission each
2-26     shall file, not later than December 15, 2002, a written report with
 3-1     the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of
 3-2     representatives that details the results and states the findings of
 3-3     the agency's study.
 3-4           SECTION 2.  This Act expires February 1, 2003.
 3-5           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 3-6     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 3-7     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 3-8     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 3-9     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.