AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In 1991, the 72nd Legislature established the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities in statute and as a trusteed program within the Governor’s Office to support opportunities for persons with disabilities to enjoy full and equal access to lives of independence, productivity, and self-determination. The committee aims to further opportunities and full participation of persons with disabilities by raising awareness and serving as a central source of information on issues that impact the lives of persons with disabilities.
The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities is subject to the Sunset Act and will be abolished on September 1, 2015, unless continued by the legislature. As a result of its review of the committee, the Sunset Advisory Commission recommended several statutory modifications that are contained in this legislation.
H.B. 1678 amends current law relating to the continuation and functions of the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 115.005, Human Resources Code, as follows:
Sec. 115.005. SUNSET PROVISION. Provides that the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities (committee) is subject to Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act), Government Code. Provides that, unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the committee is abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2027, rather than September 1, 2015.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 115.009, Human Resources Code, as amended by S.B. No. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, as follows:
Sec. 115.009. FUNCTIONS. Requires the committee to:
(1) and (2) Makes no change to these subdivisions;
(3) before the end of each even-numbered year, submit to the governor and to the legislature a report that includes any recommended changes in state laws relating to persons with disabilities;
(4) serve as the state's liaison agency in working with the Office of Disability Employment Policy, rather than the President’s Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities, and other entities involved in activities or concerns affecting persons with disabilities;
(5) Makes no change to this subdivision;
(6) Redesignates existing Subdivision (7) as Subdivision (6) and makes no further change to this subdivision;
(7) Redesignates existing Subdivision (9) as Subdivision (7) and makes no further change to this subdivision;
(8) Redesignates existing Subdivision (10) as Subdivision (8) and makes a nonsubstantive change;
(9) Redesignates existing Subdivision (11) as Subdivision (9) and makes a nonsubstantive change;
(10) identify each current long-range plan relating to persons with disabilities in this state created by a state agency, a committee of a state agency, or a nonprofit organization required by federal law to produce such a plan, and publish the link to the Internet website address for each long-range plan, if available, on the Internet website of the committee; and
(11) review and analyze the long-range plans described by Subdivision (10) to identify gaps in state laws and services for persons with disabilities and make biennial recommendations in the committee's report required under Subdivision (3) to address identified gaps.
Deletes existing text of Subdivision (3) requiring the committee, before the end of each even-numbered year, to submit to the governor and to the legislature a report that includes the status of the state’s compliance with federal and state laws pertaining to rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities and recommendations to achieve further compliance, if necessary, and a long-range state plan for persons with disabilities and recommendations to implement that plan.
Deletes existing Subdivision (6) requiring the committee to evaluate the state's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq.) and other federal and state statutes relating to rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Deletes existing Subdivision (8) requiring the committee to collect and evaluate data on employment of persons with disabilities by state agencies.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2015.