BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1303

By: Guillen

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the Texas Legislature recently created new general officer positions within the Texas National Guard, which consists of the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. Interested parties assert that the federal National Guard Bureau recognizes some but not all of those positions. H.B. 1303 seeks to clarify the duties of the general officer positions to facilitate funding by the federal National Guard Bureau of the positions.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 1303 amends the Government Code to change from one to one or more the number of assistant deputy adjutants general for army the adjutant general may appoint. The bill removes the adjutant general's authority to appoint an assistant deputy adjutant general for homeland security and an assistant deputy adjutant general for government affairs and instead authorizes the adjutant general to appoint an assistant adjutant general for homeland security and an assistant adjutant general for domestic operations.

H.B. 1303 requires the assistant deputy adjutant general for air to support the deputy adjutant general for air, represent the command staff at events as needed, and manage the activities assigned by the adjutant general or the deputy adjutant general for air. The bill changes the position to which the requirements to coordinate with other state agencies in matters pertaining to homeland security and coordinate homeland security actions taken by the National Guard Bureau in Texas apply from the assistant deputy adjutant general for the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard to the assistant adjutant general for homeland security. The bill removes the requirement that such coordination with other state agencies in matters pertaining to homeland security be for the purposes of ensuring that state emergency services are provided and organized to support the state operations center.

H.B. 1303 removes the requirement that the assistant deputy adjutant general for the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, as determined by the adjutant general, coordinate activities of the Texas military forces with the National Guard Bureau to ensure funding and coordination with other federal, state, and local jurisdictions and officials in matters relating to the operations of the Texas military forces occurring in the assistant deputy adjutant general's jurisdiction or oversight. The bill instead requires the assistant adjutant general for domestic operations to coordinate activities of the Texas military forces with the National Guard Bureau to ensure that state emergency services are provided and organized to support the state operations center and to coordinate with other federal, state, and local jurisdictions and officials.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.