79R5015 MCK-D

By:  Chavez                                                       H.B. No. 925



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to creating an interagency work group on border issues.              
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 772, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Section 772.011 to read as follows:
	Sec. 772.011.  INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP ON BORDER ISSUES.  (a)  
An interagency work group is created to:
		(1)  develop or update a process to allow agencies to 
work together on issues that face border communities;
		(2)  discuss and coordinate programs and services 
offered to border communities and residents of border communities; 
and
		(3)  develop regulatory and legislative 
recommendations to eliminate duplication and combine program 
services.
	(b)  The work group is composed of the heads of the following 
agencies or their designees:
		(1)  the Office of Rural Community Affairs;                            
		(2)  the Texas Department of Housing and Community 
Affairs;          
		(3)  the Texas Water Development Board;                                
		(4)  the Texas Department of Transportation;                           
		(5)  the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;                    
		(6)  the Texas Workforce Commission;                                   
		(7)  the Department of State Health Services;                          
		(8)  the Health and Human Services Commission;                         
		(9)  the General Land Office;                                          
		(10)  the Texas Education Agency;                                      
		(11)  the Texas Economic Development and Tourism 
Office;             
		(12)  the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations;                     
		(13)  the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;                   
		(14)  the attorney general's office; and                               
		(15)  the secretary of state's office.                                 
	(c)  The work group shall meet at least once each year in 
Austin to discuss border issues and to provide information showing 
the impact each agency has on border communities for use in 
developing border policy.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.