1-1 By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 508 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 1, 2001; February 5, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; 1-4 March 15, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, 1-5 Nays 0; March 15, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to establishing task forces in certain border communities 1-9 to study impediments to trade in the border region. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: 1-12 (1) "Border region" means the area composed of the 1-13 counties of Brewster, Cameron, Culberson, Dimmit, El Paso, Hidalgo, 1-14 Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Presidio, Starr, 1-15 Terrell, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala. 1-16 (2) "Task force" means a border community trade task 1-17 force established under this Act. 1-18 SECTION 2. BORDER COMMUNITY TRADE TASK FORCE. The 1-19 lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives 1-20 shall establish a border community trade task force for each of the 1-21 four municipalities with the largest populations in the border 1-22 region to identify procedural and infrastructure impediments to the 1-23 free flow of trade between the United States and Mexico along the 1-24 border region and make findings and recommendations as considered 1-25 appropriate regarding those trade impediments. 1-26 SECTION 3. MEMBERSHIP; OFFICERS. (a) As soon as 1-27 practicable after the effective date of this Act, the speaker of 1-28 the house of representatives and lieutenant governor jointly shall 1-29 appoint not more than 25 members to serve on each task force. 1-30 (b) Each task force must include: 1-31 (1) one person representing each agency of the United 1-32 States with jurisdiction over international trade, international 1-33 commerce, or transportation issues; 1-34 (2) one person representing each governmental agency 1-35 of Mexico; 1-36 (3) one person representing the Texas Department of 1-37 Transportation; 1-38 (4) one person representing the Department of Public 1-39 Safety of the State of Texas; 1-40 (5) one person representing the interests of local 1-41 customs brokers; 1-42 (6) one person representing the interests of freight 1-43 forwarders; 1-44 (7) one person representing the interests of motor 1-45 carriers; 1-46 (8) one person representing the interests of drayage 1-47 carriers; and 1-48 (9) one person representing the local maquiladora 1-49 industry. 1-50 (c) The speaker of the house of representatives and 1-51 lieutenant governor shall jointly select the presiding officer of 1-52 each task force from among the task force members. A task force 1-53 may designate other officers as the task force considers 1-54 appropriate. 1-55 SECTION 4. ASSISTANCE; EXPENSES. (a) Each task force may 1-56 request assistance and information, other than confidential 1-57 information relating to an individual, from the Department of 1-58 Public Safety of the State of Texas and the Texas Department of 1-59 Transportation. The departments shall provide the assistance and 1-60 information requested to the extent practicable. 1-61 (b) The expenses of each task force, including the 1-62 compensation of necessary staff, may be paid from any appropriate 1-63 funds of the house of representatives and the senate. The 1-64 legislature may appropriate money for the support of each task 2-1 force. 2-2 SECTION 5. TASK FORCE DUTIES. (a) Each task force shall 2-3 study and evaluate the procedures and practices maintained at the 2-4 port of entry between Texas and Mexico nearest to the municipality 2-5 represented by the task force to determine what modifications could 2-6 be made to expedite the flow of trade from Mexico, including: 2-7 (1) identifying the cause of traffic congestion at the 2-8 border crossing from Mexico; 2-9 (2) reviewing customs brokers practices, including the 2-10 batch release process; 2-11 (3) reviewing the drayage business and drayage 2-12 concerns; 2-13 (4) reviewing and considering the standardization of 2-14 the hours of operation for financial institutions, customs brokers, 2-15 United States Customs Service offices, and maquiladoras along the 2-16 Texas-Mexico border; 2-17 (5) determining the feasibility of establishing a 2-18 program authorizing the Department of Public Safety of the State of 2-19 Texas officers or inspectors certified by the department to conduct 2-20 commercial vehicle and driver safety inspections in Mexico; 2-21 (6) reviewing United States Customs Service practices 2-22 to determine what procedures and processes need to be changed to 2-23 permit a precleared Mexican commercial vehicle to bypass the 2-24 primary customs inspection point; 2-25 (7) determining the feasibility of interagency 2-26 agreements that would allow a state agency to administer the laws 2-27 of this state relating to the registration of motor carriers and 2-28 the inspection of commercial motor vehicles for another state 2-29 agency; and 2-30 (8) identifying the federal and state infrastructure 2-31 and manpower resources necessary to expedite the free flow of trade 2-32 across the border crossing from Mexico. 2-33 (b) Each task force shall also study the primary and 2-34 secondary inspection processes relating to motor carrier safety 2-35 regulations and commercial driver's licensure requirements 2-36 administered by the Department of Public Safety of the State of 2-37 Texas to determine which of those processes, regulations, and 2-38 requirements may be automated to expedite the free flow of trade 2-39 across the border crossing from Mexico. 2-40 (c) Each task force shall focus on analyzing current 2-41 situations and developing solutions in anticipation of the removal 2-42 of geographical access barriers on Mexican commercial trucks. 2-43 SECTION 6. REPORTS. Not later than December 31, 2002, each 2-44 task force shall file a report of the task force's activities, 2-45 findings, and recommendations with the lieutenant governor and the 2-46 speaker of the house of representatives. Each report shall include 2-47 any recommendations for legislative or administrative action 2-48 the task force considers appropriate. 2-49 SECTION 7. EXPIRATION. The task forces are abolished and 2-50 this Act expires September 1, 2003. 2-51 SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect 2-52 immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members 2-53 elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, 2-54 Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote 2-55 necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2-56 2001. 2-57 * * * * *