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.