BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1763

By: Flynn

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas National Guard has grown in size since September 11, 2001. Currently, the Texas Army National Guard has over 19,500 soldiers in its ranks and the Texas Air National Guard has over 3,000 personnel members. With a concurrent increase in assigned deployments and domestic missions, the adjutant general is seeking state authorization to create four additional general officer slots. This authorization will be federally funded by the National Guard Bureau and will have no fiscal impact on the state, but federal regulations require state authorization to pursue additional general officer slots.

H.B. 1763 requires the governor, on the adjutant general's recommendation, to appoint two deputy adjutant generals, one for army and one for air; requires the adjutant general to appoint four assistant adjutant generals, three for army and one for air; and authorizes the adjutant general to appoint an additional assistant adjutant general for army and air with certain increases in the sizes of those guard units.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1763 amends the Government Code to require the governor, on recommendation of the adjutant general, to appoint a deputy adjutant general for army and a deputy adjutant general for air, rather than an assistant adjutant general and a deputy assistant adjutant general for army and an assistant adjutant general for air, and makes conforming changes. The bill requires the adjutant general to appoint three assistant adjutants general for army and one assistant adjutant general for air, all of whom are required to be paid with federal money and filled by regular part-time Texas National Guard members. The bill authorizes the adjutant general to appoint an additional assistant adjutant general for army for every 5,000-person increase in Texas Army National Guard personnel from the number of personnel as of September 1, 2009, and an additional assistant adjutant general for air for every 2,000-person increase in Texas Air National Guard personnel from the number of personnel as of the same date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.