SRC-TAG S.B. 517 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 517
78R3336 ATP-DBy: Shapleigh
International Relations and Trade
3/23/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas-Mexico border region has the highest unemployment
rate in the country and has one of the lowest per-capita income rates.
Thus, there is a necessity to invest in and create an economic engine in
the Texas-Mexico border region which would allow that region to grow and
prosper.  As proposed, S.B. 517 amends the Government Code to establish a
Texas Border Strategic Investment Commission to bring a statewide
perspective to strategic Texas-Mexico Border region initiatives.  This
bill creates a commission to identify strategic economic development
initiatives that would improve the economic health along the Texas-Mexico
border. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Title 4F, Government Code, by adding Chapter 489, as
follows: 

CHAPTER 489.  TEXAS BORDER STRATEGIC INVESTMENT COMMISSION

Sec.  489.001.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "commission" and " Texas-Mexico
border region." 

Sec.  489.002.  PURPOSE.   Sets forth the purpose of the Texas Border
Strategic Investment Commission (commission). 

Sec.  489.003.  TEXAS BORDER STRATEGIC INVESTMENT COMMISSION; MEMBERS.
(a)  Provides that the commission is established. 

  (b)  Provides that the commission is composed of certain state officials.

(c)  Requires the lieutenant governor to serve as the chair of the
commission. 

Sec.  489.004.  FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION.  (a)  Requires the commission, by
December 1 of each even-numbered year, to identify and recommend funding
for strategic economic development initiatives in the six metropolitan
statistical areas of the Texas-Mexico border region. 

(b)  Requires the strategic investment initiatives recommended to be
identified using certain criteria. 

Sec.  489.005.  REPORT.  (a)  Requires the commission, by December 1 of
each evennumbered year, to file a report with the legislature that states
the strategic investment initiatives recommended by the commission during
the preceding two-year period and identifies the initiatives that received
funding during the preceding fiscal biennium.  Requires the report to
include any recommendations for legislative action the commission
considers appropriate to further the function of the commission. 

(b)  Requires the commission to evaluate certain performance measures, in
addition to the other identified performance measures, for those
recommended initiatives that received funding during the biennium in which
the report is made. 
   
Sec.  489.006.  FUNDING.  (a)  Authorizes the commission, in addition to
any amount appropriated by the legislature, to request state agencies to
apply for funds from the federal government or any other public or private
entity.  Authorizes the commission to solicit grants, gifts, and donations
from private sources on the state's behalf.  Requires the use of a gift,
grant, or donation solicited under this section to be consistent with the
purposes of the commission.  

(b)  Requires the commission to review and authorizes it to require
reports of state agencies that receive appropriations, gifts, grants,
donations, or endowments as a result of the commission's recommendations.  

(c)  Authorizes a state agency to accept a gift, grant, donation, or
endowment received as a result of the commission's recommendations. 

Sec.  489.007.  STUDY OF PERSISTENT POVERTY COUNTIES.  Authorizes the
commission to study counties with persistent poverty, as classified by the
Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.