By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 508
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to establishing task forces in certain border communities
1-3 to study impediments to trade in the border region.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
1-6 (1) "Border region" means the area composed of the
1-7 counties of Brewster, Cameron, Culberson, Dimmit, El Paso, Hidalgo,
1-8 Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Presidio, Starr,
1-9 Terrell, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala.
1-10 (2) "Task force" means a border community trade task
1-11 force established under this Act.
1-12 SECTION 2. BORDER COMMUNITY TRADE TASK FORCE. The
1-13 lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives
1-14 shall establish a border community trade task force for each of the
1-15 four municipalities with the largest populations in the border
1-16 region to identify procedural and infrastructure impediments to the
1-17 free flow of trade between the United States and Mexico along the
1-18 border region and make findings and recommendations as considered
1-19 appropriate regarding those trade impediments.
1-20 SECTION 3. MEMBERSHIP; OFFICERS. (a) As soon as
1-21 practicable after the effective date of this Act, the speaker of
1-22 the house of representatives and lieutenant governor jointly shall
1-23 appoint not more than 25 members to serve on each task force.
1-24 (b) Each task force must include:
1-25 (1) one person representing each agency of the United
2-1 States with jurisdiction over international trade, international
2-2 commerce, or transportation issues;
2-3 (2) one person representing each governmental agency
2-4 of Mexico;
2-5 (3) one person representing the Texas Department of
2-6 Transportation;
2-7 (4) one person representing the Department of Public
2-8 Safety of the State of Texas;
2-9 (5) one person representing the interests of local
2-10 customs brokers;
2-11 (6) one person representing the interests of freight
2-12 forwarders;
2-13 (7) one person representing the interests of motor
2-14 carriers;
2-15 (8) one person representing the interests of drayage
2-16 carriers; and
2-17 (9) one person representing the local maquiladora
2-18 industry.
2-19 (c) The speaker of the house of representatives and
2-20 lieutenant governor shall jointly select the presiding officer of
2-21 each task force from among the task force members. A task force
2-22 may designate other officers as the task force considers
2-23 appropriate.
2-24 SECTION 4. ASSISTANCE; EXPENSES. (a) Each task force may
2-25 request assistance and information, other than confidential
2-26 information relating to an individual, from the Department of
3-1 Public Safety of the State of Texas and the Texas Department of
3-2 Transportation. The departments shall provide the assistance and
3-3 information requested to the extent practicable.
3-4 (b) The expenses of each task force, including the
3-5 compensation of necessary staff, may be paid from any appropriate
3-6 funds of the house of representatives and the senate. The
3-7 legislature may appropriate money for the support of each task
3-8 force.
3-9 SECTION 5. TASK FORCE DUTIES. (a) Each task force shall
3-10 study and evaluate the procedures and practices maintained at the
3-11 port of entry between Texas and Mexico nearest to the municipality
3-12 represented by the task force to determine what modifications could
3-13 be made to expedite the flow of trade from Mexico, including:
3-14 (1) identifying the cause of traffic congestion at the
3-15 border crossing from Mexico;
3-16 (2) reviewing customs brokers practices, including the
3-17 batch release process;
3-18 (3) reviewing the drayage business and drayage
3-19 concerns;
3-20 (4) reviewing and considering the standardization of
3-21 the hours of operation for financial institutions, customs brokers,
3-22 United States Customs Service offices, and maquiladoras along the
3-23 Texas-Mexico border;
3-24 (5) determining the feasibility of establishing a
3-25 program authorizing the Department of Public Safety of the State of
3-26 Texas officers or inspectors certified by the department to conduct
4-1 commercial vehicle and driver safety inspections in Mexico;
4-2 (6) reviewing United States Customs Service practices
4-3 to determine what procedures and processes need to be changed to
4-4 permit a precleared Mexican commercial vehicle to bypass the
4-5 primary customs inspection point;
4-6 (7) determining the feasibility of interagency
4-7 agreements that would allow a state agency to administer the laws
4-8 of this state relating to the registration of motor carriers and
4-9 the inspection of commercial motor vehicles for another state
4-10 agency; and
4-11 (8) identifying the federal and state infrastructure
4-12 and manpower resources necessary to expedite the free flow of trade
4-13 across the border crossing from Mexico.
4-14 (b) Each task force shall also study the primary and
4-15 secondary inspection processes relating to motor carrier safety
4-16 regulations and commercial driver's licensure requirements
4-17 administered by the Department of Public Safety of the State of
4-18 Texas to determine which of those processes, regulations, and
4-19 requirements may be automated to expedite the free flow of trade
4-20 across the border crossing from Mexico.
4-21 (c) Each task force shall focus on analyzing current
4-22 situations and developing solutions in anticipation of the removal
4-23 of geographical access barriers on Mexican commercial trucks.
4-24 SECTION 6. REPORTS. Not later than December 31, 2002, each
4-25 task force shall file a report of the task force's activities,
4-26 findings, and recommendations with the lieutenant governor and the
5-1 speaker of the house of representatives. Each report shall include
5-2 any recommendations for legislative or administrative action
5-3 the task force considers appropriate.
5-4 SECTION 7. EXPIRATION. The task forces are abolished and
5-5 this Act expires September 1, 2003.
5-6 SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
5-7 immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
5-8 elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III,
5-9 Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote
5-10 necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1,
5-11 2001.