By Lucio                                              S.B. No. 1510
         77R3205 QS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the office of the colonia initiatives coordinator.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 775.002, Government Code, is amended to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 775.002.  INTERAGENCY COORDINATION OF COLONIA
 1-7     INITIATIVES. (a)  The governor shall appoint a deputy executive
 1-8     director or a person of equivalent or higher authority at the Texas
 1-9     Water Development Board [may designate an agency] to act as the
1-10     state's colonia initiatives coordinator.
1-11           (b)  The [If appointed under Subsection (a), the] colonia
1-12     initiatives coordinator shall coordinate colonia initiatives within
1-13     the coordinator's agency and with the other agencies and local
1-14     officials involved in colonia projects in the state.
1-15           (c)  The colonia initiatives coordinator may work with the
1-16     other agencies and local officials involved in colonia projects in
1-17     the state to:
1-18                 (1)  coordinate efforts to address colonia issues;
1-19                 (2)  identify nonprofit self-help groups to help with
1-20     colonia initiatives;
1-21                 (3)  set goals for each state fiscal year for colonia
1-22     initiatives in the state, including goals to:
1-23                       (A)  address easement problems; and
1-24                       (B)  ensure that water and wastewater connections
 2-1     are extended from distribution lines to houses located in colonias;
 2-2     and
 2-3                 (4)  ensure that the goals set under this subsection
 2-4     are met each state fiscal year.
 2-5           (d)  The following agencies shall designate an officer or
 2-6     employee of the agency to serve as the agency's liaison for colonia
 2-7     initiatives:
 2-8                 (1)  the office of the attorney general;
 2-9                 (2)  the Texas Department of Health;
2-10                 (3)  the Texas Department of Housing and Community
2-11     Affairs; and
2-12                 (4)  the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
2-13     Commission[; and]
2-14                 [(5)  the Texas Water Development Board].
2-15           (e)  Each agency's liaison for colonia initiatives under
2-16     Subsection (d) must be a deputy executive director or a person of
2-17     equivalent or higher authority at the agency.  This subsection does
2-18     not authorize the creation of a new position for colonia
2-19     coordination at a state agency.
2-20           SECTION 2.  As soon as possible after the effective date of
2-21     this Act, the governor shall appoint an appropriate person to serve
2-22     as the state's colonia initiatives coordinator, as required by
2-23     Section 775.002, Government Code, as amended by this Act.  Any
2-24     agency serving as the state's colonia initiatives coordinator
2-25     immediately before the effective date of this Act may continue to
2-26     serve as coordinator until the date on which the person appointed
2-27     by the governor under Section 775.002, Government Code, as amended
 3-1     by this Act, assumes the duties of that office.
 3-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.