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By: Jackson S.B. No. 592
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of a Texas Gulf Coast Legislative Working
Group and a Multistate Gulf Coast Legislative Working Group.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Natural Resources Code, is amended
by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER I. GULF COAST LEGISLATIVE WORKING GROUP
Sec. 33.651. LEGISLATIVE FINDING. The legislature finds
that it would be in the best interests of this state for appropriate
members of the legislature and the land commissioner together with
their counterparts in other states bordering the Gulf of Mexico to
form a Multistate Gulf Coast Legislative Working Group to work
together and with members of congress from the Gulf Coast states on
issues of common concern to the Gulf Coast.
Sec. 33.652. TEXAS GULF COAST LEGISLATIVE WORKING GROUP.
(a) The Texas Gulf Coast Legislative Working Group is composed of:
(1) the land commissioner;
(2) the chair of each standing or select committee or
subcommittee of the senate with jurisdiction over coastal issues,
as determined by the lieutenant governor; and
(3) the chair of each standing or select committee or
subcommittee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over
coastal issues, as determined by the speaker of the house of
representatives.
(b) The members of the Texas working group shall annually
elect a presiding officer and assistant presiding officer for the
working group from among the members.
(c) The Texas working group shall meet as provided by rule
of the Texas working group.
(d) Members of the Texas working group may use their staff
to support working group activities and may travel on working group
business in accordance with the rules and procedures that apply to
the members' travel on official business.
Sec. 33.653. TEXAS WORKING GROUP ACTIVITIES; MULTISTATE
GULF COAST LEGISLATIVE WORKING GROUP. (a) The Texas working group
shall:
(1) identify coastal issues of common concern to Texas
and one or more other Gulf Coast states;
(2) approach the group members' counterparts in other
Gulf Coast states to work together on issues of common concern;
(3) in coordination with the group members'
counterparts in other Gulf Coast states, communicate with
appropriate members of congress on coastal issues of common
concern; and
(4) propose to the group members' counterparts in
other Gulf Coast states that they join together with the Texas
working group to form a permanent Multistate Gulf Coast Legislative
Working Group to work together and with members of congress from the
Gulf Coast states on issues of common concern to the Gulf Coast.
(b) The Texas working group and the appropriate entity in
each Gulf Coast state that accepts the proposal described in
Subsection (a)(4) comprise the Multistate Gulf Coast Legislative
Working Group.
(c) Once formed, the Multistate Gulf Coast Legislative
Working Group may adopt whatever name the group determines to be
most suitable.
Sec. 33.654. BIENNIAL REPORT. The Texas Gulf Coast
Legislative Working Group shall report on its activities to the
lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives
not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.