1-1 By: Lucio, Shapleigh S.B. No. 326 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 19, 2001; January 22, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; 1-4 March 26, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; March 26, 2001, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 326 By: Lucio 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the creation of an initiative unit to develop a 1-11 Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations Coordinated Plan. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Chapter 481, Government Code, is amended by 1-14 adding Subchapter CC to read as follows: 1-15 SUBCHAPTER CC. TEXAS-MEXICO COMMERCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1-16 COORDINATED PLAN 1-17 Sec. 481.451. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "initiative 1-18 unit" means the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations 1-19 Initiative Unit. 1-20 Sec. 481.452. INITIATIVE UNIT. (a) The department shall 1-21 appoint to serve on the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International 1-22 Relations Initiative Unit at least one representative of the 1-23 department and at least one representative from the staff of each 1-24 of the following agencies or offices: 1-25 (1) Texas Department of Health; 1-26 (2) Texas Water Development Board; 1-27 (3) Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission; 1-28 (4) Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; 1-29 (5) Health and Human Services Commission; 1-30 (6) Parks and Wildlife Department; 1-31 (7) Texas Department of Transportation; 1-32 (8) Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas; 1-33 (9) office of the secretary of state; 1-34 (10) Department of Agriculture; 1-35 (11) Texas Department of Insurance; 1-36 (12) Railroad Commission of Texas; and 1-37 (13) office of the comptroller. 1-38 (b) The department shall designate one of the members of the 1-39 initiative unit to serve as the presiding officer of the unit. 1-40 Sec. 481.453. COORDINATION OF AGENCIES AND OFFICES. The 1-41 department, with the assistance of the initiative unit, shall 1-42 coordinate efforts with each of the agencies and offices 1-43 represented by the initiative unit to: 1-44 (1) study the trade relations between this state and 1-45 Mexico and between this state and the states that border this 1-46 state; and 1-47 (2) develop and adopt the Texas-Mexico Commerce and 1-48 International Relations Coordinated Plan to propose a course of 1-49 action that the state, including the department and each agency and 1-50 office represented by the initiative unit, should take. 1-51 Sec. 481.454. PLANS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The 1-52 Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations Coordinated Plan 1-53 shall include: 1-54 (1) short-term recommendations and initiatives that 1-55 the state, including the department and each agency and office 1-56 represented by the initiative unit, may follow after the adoption 1-57 of the plan for the ensuing: 1-58 (A) two years; and 1-59 (B) four years; 1-60 (2) long-term recommendations and initiatives that the 1-61 state, including the department and each agency and office 1-62 represented by the initiative unit, may follow after the adoption 1-63 of the plan for the ensuing: 1-64 (A) five years; 2-1 (B) 10 years; and 2-2 (C) 15 years; and 2-3 (3) recommendations on what the state can do to: 2-4 (A) increase and improve trade with Mexico and 2-5 with the states that border this state; 2-6 (B) increase tourism to and from Mexico and 2-7 tourism to and from the states that border this state; and 2-8 (C) address any important trade problems between 2-9 this state and Mexico identified by the initiative unit. 2-10 (b) Each agency and office represented by the initiative 2-11 unit may incorporate the applicable recommendations and initiatives 2-12 into the agency's or office's operations. 2-13 Sec. 481.455. QUARTERLY REPORTS. Each agency and office 2-14 represented by the initiative unit shall submit quarterly reports 2-15 to the department regarding the actions taken by the agency or 2-16 office on behalf of the initiative unit or in furtherance of a plan 2-17 or recommendation of the initiative unit, including: 2-18 (1) the status of projects; 2-19 (2) the funding of expenditures; 2-20 (3) the planning and research done; 2-21 (4) the community and technical assistance provided; 2-22 (5) the information collected; and 2-23 (6) the direct role of the agency or office in 2-24 promoting the economic development of this state through increased 2-25 trade with and tourism to and from Mexico and the states that 2-26 border this state. 2-27 Sec. 481.456. PARTNERSHIP TO UPDATE CLEARINGHOUSE. The 2-28 department shall form a partnership with the agencies and offices 2-29 represented by the initiative unit to ensure that the Texas 2-30 Business and Community Economic Development Clearinghouse has 2-31 current knowledge of the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International 2-32 Relations Coordinated Plan and the actions taken by the initiative 2-33 unit and the agencies and offices represented by the initiative 2-34 unit. 2-35 Sec. 481.457. STATE AGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROVISIONS 2-36 INAPPLICABLE. Chapter 2110 does not apply to the initiative unit. 2-37 Sec. 481.458. UPDATE OF PLAN. The initiative unit shall 2-38 adopt an updated Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations 2-39 Coordinated Plan before the fourth anniversary of the date the plan 2-40 is adopted or the date an updated plan is adopted. 2-41 SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2002, the Texas 2-42 Department of Economic Development shall submit to the governor, 2-43 lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, 2-44 members of the legislature, and Legislative Budget Board a detailed 2-45 written report of the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International 2-46 Relations Coordinated Plan adopted under Section 481.453, 2-47 Government Code, as added by this Act, and the results of its 2-48 study, accompanied by recommended solutions to any problems 2-49 identified by the Texas-Mexico Commerce and International Relations 2-50 Initiative Unit and recommendations for legislative action. 2-51 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-52 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-53 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-54 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-55 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-56 * * * * *