1-1 By: Shapleigh, Lucio S.B. No. 228 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 11, 2001; January 16, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; 1-4 April 9, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 9, 2001, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 228 By: Shapleigh 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to requiring certain state agencies to study the state and 1-11 federal mandates affecting the region of the state near the border 1-12 with Mexico. 1-13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-14 SECTION 1. (a) State agencies shall conduct studies of the 1-15 state and federal mandates affecting the region of the state near 1-16 the border with Mexico as follows: 1-17 (1) the attorney general's office shall study judicial 1-18 and law enforcement issues, including: 1-19 (A) the impact on law enforcement of the federal 1-20 judicial caseload in the border region, compared to the average 1-21 federal judicial caseload; and 1-22 (B) the effects of illegal drugs on the border 1-23 region; 1-24 (2) the comptroller's office shall study: 1-25 (A) the impact of federal law enforcement on the 1-26 taxes of border residents; and 1-27 (B) the funding this state receives from the 1-28 United States Department of Transportation compared to the volume 1-29 of trade traffic on Texas highways; 1-30 (3) the Texas Department of Banking shall study 1-31 financial policies, including: 1-32 (A) the impact of the loan-to-deposit ratio on 1-33 the economy of the border region; and 1-34 (B) the failure of federal policies to create 1-35 adequate credit markets for the border region; 1-36 (4) the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission 1-37 shall study environmental policies, including: 1-38 (A) the effect of water pollution on the Rio 1-39 Grande; 1-40 (B) the effect of air pollution on the border 1-41 region; and 1-42 (C) the impact of the North American Free Trade 1-43 Agreement on water and wastewater needs for the Border Environment 1-44 Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank, as 1-45 established under federal law; 1-46 (5) the Texas Department of Health shall study the 1-47 adverse health effects of pollution on border residents; 1-48 (6) the Texas Department of Transportation shall study 1-49 the transportation infrastructure, including the effect of 1-50 overweight commercial vehicles on border roads; and 1-51 (7) the Texas Workforce Commission shall study North 1-52 American Free Trade Agreement issues, including the effect of the 1-53 agreement on worker displacement in the cities and other areas in 1-54 the border region. 1-55 (b) The comptroller of public accounts, office of the 1-56 attorney general, Texas Department of Banking, Texas Natural 1-57 Resource Conservation Commission, Texas Department of Health, Texas 1-58 Department of Transportation, and Texas Workforce Commission each 1-59 shall file, not later than December 15, 2002, a written report with 1-60 the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of 1-61 representatives that details the results and states the findings of 1-62 the agency's study. 1-63 SECTION 2. This Act expires February 1, 2003. 1-64 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-1 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-2 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-3 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-4 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-5 * * * * *