By: West S.B. No. 656
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the designation and functions of a state demographer.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
1-5 by adding Chapter 468 to read as follows:
1-6 CHAPTER 468. STATE DEMOGRAPHER
1-7 Sec. 468.001. DEFINITION. In this section, "state agency"
1-8 means a department, commission, board, office, or other agency in
1-9 the executive branch of state government, including a university
1-10 system or institution of higher education as defined by Section
1-11 61.003, Education Code.
1-12 Sec. 468.002. DESIGNATION OF STATE DEMOGRAPHER. (a) The
1-13 governor shall appoint an employee or officer of a state agency as
1-14 the state demographer from a list submitted by the speaker of the
1-15 house of representatives and the lieutenant governor.
1-16 (b) To be eligible for designation as state demographer, a
1-17 person must have:
1-18 (1) a graduate degree with specialization in
1-19 demography or a closely related field of study; and
1-20 (2) extensive experience in employing demographic and
1-21 related socioeconomic data for use by legislative, public, and
1-22 private entities.
1-23 Sec. 468.003. PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES. (a) The state
1-24 agency that employs the person designated as the state demographer
1-25 shall provide:
2-1 (1) staff necessary for the state demographer to
2-2 perform the demographer's duties; and
2-3 (2) the main office for the state demographer.
2-4 (b) The Texas Legislative Council shall provide office space
2-5 and other support in Austin necessary for the state demographer to
2-6 perform the demographer's duties for the legislature.
2-7 Sec. 468.004. POWERS AND DUTIES. The state demographer
2-8 shall:
2-9 (1) disseminate demographic and related socioeconomic
2-10 data to the public, with emphasis on data that may be useful to
2-11 public policymakers;
2-12 (2) provide annual population estimates for all
2-13 counties and municipalities in the state;
2-14 (3) provide biennial population projections for the
2-15 state and all counties of the state;
2-16 (4) provide information to the legislature relating to
2-17 the impact that demographic and socioeconomic changes in the
2-18 population of the state have on the demand for state services; and
2-19 (5) evaluate the type and quality of data needed to:
2-20 (A) adequately monitor demographic and
2-21 socioeconomic changes in the population of the state; and
2-22 (B) assess the effectiveness of delivery of
2-23 state services.
2-24 SECTION 2. Section 88.214, Education Code, is transferred to
2-25 Chapter 468, Government Code, redesignated as Section 468.005,
2-26 Government Code, and amended to read as follows:
3-1 Sec. 468.005 [88.214]. ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES
3-2 BUREAU OF THE CENSUS FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATIVE. The state agency
3-3 that employs the state demographer [Texas Agricultural Experiment
3-4 Station] shall serve as the official cognizant administrator for
3-5 the State of Texas of the United States Bureau of the Census
3-6 federal-state cooperative program for population estimates and the
3-7 federal-state cooperative program for population projections and as
3-8 coordinating agency for the State Data Center program.
3-9 SECTION 3. As soon as is practicable after the effective
3-10 date of this Act, the speaker of the house of representatives and
3-11 the lieutenant governor shall submit to the governor their list of
3-12 potential appointees as required by Section 468.002, Government
3-13 Code, as added by this Act. For purposes of Section 12, Article
3-14 IV, Texas Constitution, the state demographer is a state officer.
3-15 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.