1-1 By: West S.B. No. 656
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 12, 2001; February 13, 2001,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Administration;
1-4 March 21, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; March 21, 2001,
1-6 sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 656 By: Moncrief
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to the designation and functions of a state demographer.
1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12 SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
1-13 by adding Chapter 468 to read as follows:
1-14 CHAPTER 468. STATE DEMOGRAPHER
1-15 Sec. 468.001. DEFINITION. In this section, "state agency"
1-16 means a department, commission, board, office, or other agency in
1-17 the executive branch of state government, including a university
1-18 system or institution of higher education as defined by Section
1-19 61.003, Education Code.
1-20 Sec. 468.002. DESIGNATION OF STATE DEMOGRAPHER. (a) The
1-21 governor shall appoint an employee or officer of a state agency as
1-22 the state demographer from a list submitted by the speaker of the
1-23 house of representatives and the lieutenant governor.
1-24 (b) To be eligible for designation as state demographer, a
1-25 person must have:
1-26 (1) a graduate degree with specialization in
1-27 demography or a closely related field of study; and
1-28 (2) extensive experience in employing demographic and
1-29 related socioeconomic data for use by legislative, public, and
1-30 private entities.
1-31 Sec. 468.003. PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES. (a) The state
1-32 agency that employs the person designated as the state demographer
1-33 shall provide:
1-34 (1) staff necessary for the state demographer to
1-35 perform the demographer's duties; and
1-36 (2) the main office for the state demographer.
1-37 (b) The Texas Legislative Council shall provide office space
1-38 and other support in Austin necessary for the state demographer to
1-39 perform the demographer's duties for the legislature.
1-40 Sec. 468.004. POWERS AND DUTIES. The state demographer
1-41 shall:
1-42 (1) disseminate demographic and related socioeconomic
1-43 data to the public, with emphasis on data that may be useful to
1-44 public policymakers;
1-45 (2) provide annual population estimates for all
1-46 counties and municipalities in the state;
1-47 (3) provide biennial population projections for the
1-48 state and all counties of the state;
1-49 (4) provide information to the legislature relating to
1-50 the impact that demographic and socioeconomic changes in the
1-51 population of the state have on the demand for state services; and
1-52 (5) evaluate the type and quality of data needed to:
1-53 (A) adequately monitor demographic and
1-54 socioeconomic changes in the population of the state; and
1-55 (B) assess the effectiveness of delivery of
1-56 state services.
1-57 SECTION 2. Section 88.214, Education Code, is transferred to
1-58 Chapter 468, Government Code, redesignated as Section 468.005,
1-59 Government Code, and amended to read as follows:
1-60 Sec. 468.005 [88.214]. ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES
1-61 BUREAU OF THE CENSUS FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATIVE. The state agency
1-62 that employs the state demographer [Texas Agricultural Experiment
1-63 Station] shall serve as the official cognizant administrator for
1-64 the State of Texas of the United States Bureau of the Census
2-1 federal-state cooperative program for population estimates and the
2-2 federal-state cooperative program for population projections and as
2-3 coordinating agency for the State Data Center program.
2-4 SECTION 3. As soon as is practicable after the effective
2-5 date of this Act, the speaker of the house of representatives and
2-6 the lieutenant governor shall submit to the governor their list of
2-7 potential appointees as required by Section 468.002, Government
2-8 Code, as added by this Act. For purposes of Section 12, Article
2-9 IV, Texas Constitution, the state demographer is a state officer.
2-10 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-11 * * * * *