By: Lucio, Shapleigh S.B. No. 326
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of an initiative unit to develop a
1-3 Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations Coordinated Plan.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 481, Government Code, is amended by
1-6 adding Subchapter CC to read as follows:
1-7 SUBCHAPTER CC. TEXAS-MEXICO COMMERCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1-8 COORDINATED PLAN
1-9 Sec. 481.451. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "initiative
1-10 unit" means the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations
1-11 Initiative Unit.
1-12 Sec. 481.452. INITIATIVE UNIT. (a) The department shall
1-13 appoint to serve on the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International
1-14 Relations Initiative Unit at least one representative of the
1-15 department and at least one representative from the staff of each
1-16 of the following agencies or offices:
1-17 (1) Texas Department of Health;
1-18 (2) Texas Water Development Board;
1-19 (3) Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission;
1-20 (4) Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;
1-21 (5) Health and Human Services Commission;
1-22 (6) Parks and Wildlife Department;
1-23 (7) Texas Department of Transportation;
1-24 (8) Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas;
1-25 (9) office of the secretary of state;
2-1 (10) Department of Agriculture;
2-2 (11) Texas Department of Insurance;
2-3 (12) Railroad Commission of Texas; and
2-4 (13) office of the comptroller.
2-5 (b) The department shall designate one of the members of the
2-6 initiative unit to serve as the presiding officer of the unit.
2-7 Sec. 481.453. COORDINATION OF AGENCIES AND OFFICES. The
2-8 department, with the assistance of the initiative unit, shall
2-9 coordinate efforts with each of the agencies and offices
2-10 represented by the initiative unit to:
2-11 (1) study the trade relations between this state and
2-12 Mexico and between this state and the states that border this
2-13 state; and
2-14 (2) develop and adopt the Texas-Mexico Commerce and
2-15 International Relations Coordinated Plan to propose a course of
2-16 action that the state, including the department and each agency and
2-17 office represented by the initiative unit, should take.
2-18 Sec. 481.454. PLANS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The
2-19 Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations Coordinated Plan
2-20 shall include:
2-21 (1) short-term recommendations and initiatives that
2-22 the state, including the department and each agency and office
2-23 represented by the initiative unit, may follow after the adoption
2-24 of the plan for the ensuing:
2-25 (A) two years; and
2-26 (B) four years;
3-1 (2) long-term recommendations and initiatives that the
3-2 state, including the department and each agency and office
3-3 represented by the initiative unit, may follow after the adoption
3-4 of the plan for the ensuing:
3-5 (A) five years;
3-6 (B) 10 years; and
3-7 (C) 15 years; and
3-8 (3) recommendations on what the state can do to:
3-9 (A) increase and improve trade with Mexico and
3-10 with the states that border this state;
3-11 (B) increase tourism to and from Mexico and
3-12 tourism to and from the states that border this state; and
3-13 (C) address any important trade problems between
3-14 this state and Mexico identified by the initiative unit.
3-15 (b) Each agency and office represented by the initiative
3-16 unit may incorporate the applicable recommendations and initiatives
3-17 into the agency's or office's operations.
3-18 Sec. 481.455. QUARTERLY REPORTS. Each agency and office
3-19 represented by the initiative unit shall submit quarterly reports
3-20 to the department regarding the actions taken by the agency or
3-21 office on behalf of the initiative unit or in furtherance of a plan
3-22 or recommendation of the initiative unit, including:
3-23 (1) the status of projects;
3-24 (2) the funding of expenditures;
3-25 (3) the planning and research done;
3-26 (4) the community and technical assistance provided;
4-1 (5) the information collected; and
4-2 (6) the direct role of the agency or office in
4-3 promoting the economic development of this state through increased
4-4 trade with and tourism to and from Mexico and the states that
4-5 border this state.
4-6 Sec. 481.456. PARTNERSHIP TO UPDATE CLEARINGHOUSE. The
4-7 department shall form a partnership with the agencies and offices
4-8 represented by the initiative unit to ensure that the Texas
4-9 Business and Community Economic Development Clearinghouse has
4-10 current knowledge of the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International
4-11 Relations Coordinated Plan and the actions taken by the initiative
4-12 unit and the agencies and offices represented by the initiative
4-13 unit.
4-14 Sec. 481.457. STATE AGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROVISIONS
4-15 INAPPLICABLE. Chapter 2110 does not apply to the initiative unit.
4-16 Sec. 481.458. UPDATE OF PLAN. The initiative unit shall
4-17 adopt an updated Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations
4-18 Coordinated Plan before the fourth anniversary of the date the plan
4-19 is adopted or the date an updated plan is adopted.
4-20 SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2002, the Texas
4-21 Department of Economic Development shall submit to the governor,
4-22 lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives,
4-23 members of the legislature, and Legislative Budget Board a detailed
4-24 written report of the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International
4-25 Relations Coordinated Plan adopted under Section 481.453,
4-26 Government Code, as added by this Act, and the results of its
5-1 study, accompanied by recommended solutions to any problems
5-2 identified by the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations
5-3 Initiative Unit and recommendations for legislative action.
5-4 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
5-5 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
5-6 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
5-7 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
5-8 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.