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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the rulemaking authority of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission to provide for the placement of refugees in |
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this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 531.041, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.041. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The |
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commission has all the powers and duties necessary to administer |
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this chapter. |
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(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules for |
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gathering and considering community input on the local refugee |
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placement reporting requirements for the United States refugee |
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resettlement program. |
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(1) The rules must, at a minimum, require the local |
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volunteer agencies to take the following actions: |
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(a) convene and conduct quarterly refugee |
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placement consultations with state and local government and |
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community stakeholders regarding proposed refugee placement; |
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(b) obtain feedback on the proposed refugee |
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placement from community stakeholders including but not limited to |
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city, county, and state officials; local health care systems; local |
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school districts; and local law enforcement agencies; and major |
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employers of refugees; |
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(c) consider all feedback obtained prior to |
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releasing the annual proposed refugee placement report for the |
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United States Department of State's Reception and Placement (R&P) |
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program; |
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(d) develop a final refugee placement report for |
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the national voluntary agencies and Health and Human Services |
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Commission and include a summary of how stakeholder input |
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contributed to the final request; and |
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(e) inform all community stakeholders, as |
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described in Subsection (b), of the annual proposed refugee |
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placement report. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2016, the Health and Human |
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Services executive commissioner shall adopt the rules as provided |
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by Section 531.041(b), Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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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, 2015. |