By: Raymond, Price, Naishtat H.B. No. 1678
        (Senate Sponsor - Schwertner)
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 13, 2015;
  April 21, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
  and Human Services; May 6, 2015, reported favorably by the
  following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 6, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the continuation and functions of the Governor's
  Committee on People with Disabilities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 115.005, Human Resources Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 115.005.  SUNSET PROVISION. The Governor's Committee
  on People with Disabilities is subject to Chapter 325, Government
  Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued in existence as provided
  by that chapter, the committee is abolished and this chapter
  expires September 1, 2027 [2015].
         SECTION 2.  Section 115.009, Human Resources Code, as
  amended by S.B. No. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2015, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 115.009.  FUNCTIONS. The committee shall:
               (1)  serve as a central source of information and
  education on the abilities, rights, problems, and needs of persons
  with disabilities and, as necessary, issue reports;
               (2)  provide information to and advise the governor and
  the governor's staff on matters relating to the full participation
  of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life;
               (3)  before the end of each even-numbered year, submit
  to the governor and to the legislature a report that includes[:
                     [(A)     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;
                     [(B)     a long-range state plan for persons with
  disabilities and recommendations to implement that plan; and
                     [(C)]  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 [President's Committee on] Employment
  Policy [of Persons with Disabilities] and other entities involved
  in activities or concerns affecting persons with disabilities;
               (5)  develop and work with a statewide network of
  volunteer community-level committees to promote dissemination of
  information about and implementation of federal and state laws
  addressing rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities;
               (6)  [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;
               [(7)]  provide information and technical assistance to
  public and private agencies and businesses to promote and
  facilitate implementation of 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 of persons with
  disabilities;
               (7) [ (8)     collect and evaluate data on employment of
  persons with disabilities by state agencies;
               [(9)]  work with legislative committees and with state
  agencies on the development of laws and policies that affect
  persons with disabilities;
               (8) [(10)]  promote the compilation and publication of
  state laws relating to persons with disabilities; [and]
               (9) [(11)]  issue awards and other forms of recognition
  to persons and organizations making outstanding contributions to
  the employment of persons with disabilities and to public awareness
  of issues impacting persons with disabilities;
               (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 Governor's Committee on People with
  Disabilities; 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.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
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