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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the coordination of rural and small community |
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initiatives. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 7, Government Code, is amended by adding |
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Chapter 793 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 793. COORDINATION OF RURAL AND SMALL COMMUNITIES |
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Sec. 793.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Agency" means a state office, institution, or |
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other state governmental entity that is in the executive branch of |
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state government. |
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(2) "Coordinator" means the rural and small community |
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coordinator. |
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(3) "Task force" means the Texas Rural and Small |
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Community Advisory Task Force. |
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Sec. 793.002. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION OF RURAL AND SMALL |
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COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. (a) The governor may designate an employee |
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of the governor's office, an agency, or the office of the secretary |
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of state to act as the state's rural and small community |
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coordinator. The coordinator shall: |
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(1) examine state and federal programs that address |
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the needs of rural and small communities; |
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(2) act as an ombudsman for governmental agencies |
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within the state to help reduce regulations by improving |
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communication and cooperation between federal, state, and local |
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governments; |
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(3) study the best practices found in other states and |
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within the state and work with agencies to develop a coordinated |
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state plan to implement similar programs tailored to the needs of |
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the state's rural and small communities; and |
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(4) work with federal, state, and local governmental |
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entities to resolve any infrastructure, capacity, and economic |
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development problems to allow rural and small communities to: |
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(A) manage better guided growth; and |
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(B) become less dependent on state funds and |
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services. |
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(b) The coordinator shall coordinate programs and |
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initiatives that address the needs of rural and small communities: |
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(1) within the agency; and |
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(2) with other agencies and local officials involved |
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in rural and small community projects in the state. |
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(c) The coordinator shall work with other agencies and local |
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officials involved in rural and small community projects in the |
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state to: |
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(1) coordinate efforts to address rural and small |
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community issues; |
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(2) identify nonprofit self-help groups and community |
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development organizations to help with rural and small community |
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initiatives; |
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(3) set goals for each state fiscal year for rural and |
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small community initiatives in the state, including goals to: |
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(A) address regional asset identification and |
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development; |
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(B) ensure access to state and federal programs |
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through better outreach and application streamlining; |
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(C) increase international competitiveness, |
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import capacity, and export capacity; |
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(D) increase potential for entrepreneurial and |
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small business development opportunities; |
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(E) improve technical assistance needed to build |
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local capacity; |
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(F) assist efforts for youth retention and |
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workforce skill development; and |
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(G) increase regional planning and coordination; |
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(4) ensure that the goals set under this subsection |
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are met each state fiscal year; and |
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(5) coordinate state outreach efforts to rural and |
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small communities and to stakeholders capable of providing needed |
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services. |
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(d) If the governor designates a coordinator under |
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Subsection (a), the following agencies shall designate an officer |
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or employee of the agency to serve as the agency's liaison to the |
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coordinator: |
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(1) the Texas Department of Rural Affairs; |
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(2) the Texas Water Development Board; |
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(3) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; |
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(4) the Texas Department of Housing and Community |
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Affairs; |
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(5) the Health and Human Services Commission; |
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(6) the Parks and Wildlife Department; |
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(7) the Texas Department of Transportation; |
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(8) the Department of Public Safety of the State of |
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Texas; |
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(9) the office of the secretary of state; |
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(10) the Department of Agriculture; |
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(11) the office of the comptroller; and |
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(12) the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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(e) Each agency's liaison under Subsection (d) must be a |
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deputy executive director or a person of equivalent or higher |
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authority at the agency. This subsection does not authorize the |
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creation of a new position for rural and small community |
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coordination at a state agency. |
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(f) In coordinating rural and small community initiatives |
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under this section, the coordinator shall consider the advice and |
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recommendations of the task force established under Section |
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793.003. |
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Sec. 793.003. TEXAS RURAL AND SMALL COMMUNITY ADVISORY TASK |
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FORCE. (a) The coordinator shall appoint to serve on the Texas |
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Rural and Small Community Advisory Task Force: |
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(1) at least one representative from each agency |
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listed under Section 793.002(d); |
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(2) two representatives who are members of |
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organizations that represent the interests of rural and small |
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communities; |
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(3) two representatives who are county officials from |
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rural counties; |
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(4) two representatives from the councils of |
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government that serve regions that are predominantly rural or |
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composed of small communities; |
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(5) two representatives who are officials from small |
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municipalities; |
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(6) two representatives who are board members of |
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nonprofit or community development organizations; |
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(7) two representatives of institutions of higher |
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education who specialize in rural community and economic |
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development; |
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(8) two representatives of local small business |
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development corporations; and |
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(9) two representatives of local economic development |
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corporations. |
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(b) Each agency's representative under Subsection (a)(1) |
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serves in a resource capacity only and must be a deputy executive |
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director or a person of equivalent or higher authority at the |
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agency. |
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(c) The coordinator shall make appointments under |
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Subsection (a) so that different geographic regions of the state |
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are represented in order to better develop a plan that can meet the |
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needs of unique rural and small communities. |
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(d) The coordinator shall serve as the presiding officer of |
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the task force. |
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(e) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the task force. |
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Sec. 793.004. TEXAS RURAL AND SMALL COMMUNITY COORDINATED |
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PLAN. (a) The task force shall develop and adopt the Texas Rural |
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and Small Community Coordinated Plan. The plan must include: |
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(1) short-term recommendations and initiatives that |
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the state, including the coordinator and each entity represented on |
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the task force, may follow after the adoption of the plan for the |
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ensuing: |
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(A) two years; and |
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(B) four years; |
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(2) long-term recommendations and initiatives that |
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the state, including the coordinator and each entity represented on |
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the task force, may follow after the adoption of the plan for the |
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ensuing: |
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(A) 5 years; |
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(B) 10 years; and |
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(C) 15 years; and |
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(3) recommendations on what the state can do to: |
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(A) increase and improve delivery, access, and |
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administration of programs that benefit rural and small communities |
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in the state; |
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(B) increase regional and individual capacity in |
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rural and small communities in the state; |
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(C) address any important problem identified by |
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the task force that currently impedes development, growth, and |
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commerce in rural and small communities; |
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(D) increase international competitiveness, |
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import capacity, and export capacity; |
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(E) increase potential for entrepreneurial and |
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small business development opportunities; |
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(F) improve technical assistance needed to build |
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local capacity; |
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(G) assist efforts for youth retention and |
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workforce skill development; and |
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(H) decrease the dependency of rural and small |
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communities on state funds and services and increase sustainable |
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economic growth and community development in those communities. |
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(b) Each entity represented on the task force may |
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incorporate the plan's applicable recommendations and initiatives |
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into the entity's operations. |
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(c) The task force shall adopt an updated plan before the |
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fourth anniversary of the date the plan is adopted or the date an |
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updated plan is adopted. |
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Sec. 793.005. QUARTERLY REPORTS. Each entity represented |
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on the task force shall submit quarterly reports to the coordinator |
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regarding any action taken by the entity on behalf of the task force |
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or in furtherance of a plan or recommendation adopted by the task |
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force, including: |
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(1) the status of projects; |
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(2) the funding of expenditures; |
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(3) the planning and research conducted; |
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(4) the community and technical assistance provided; |
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(5) the information collected; and |
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(6) the direct role of the entity in promoting |
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community and economic development through federal, state, and |
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local government funding. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2012, the rural and |
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small community coordinator, if one is designated by the governor |
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under Section 793.002, Government Code, as added by this Act, shall |
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submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house |
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of representatives, members of the legislature, and Legislative |
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Budget Board a detailed written report of the Texas Rural and Small |
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Community Coordinated Plan adopted under Section 793.004, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act, and any recommendations for |
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legislative action. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |