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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to ensuring local governmental and community input in any |
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federal refugee resettlement program established in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 531.0411 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.0411. RULES REGARDING REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT. (a) |
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In this section, "local resettlement agency" and "national |
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voluntary agency" have the meanings assigned by 45 C.F.R. Section |
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400.2. |
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(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to ensure |
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that local governmental and community input is included in any |
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refugee placement report required under a federal refugee |
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resettlement program and that governmental entities and officials |
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are provided with related information. In adopting rules under |
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this section, the executive commissioner shall, to the extent |
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permitted under federal law, ensure that: |
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(1) meetings are convened, at least quarterly, in the |
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communities proposed for refugee placement at which |
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representatives of local resettlement agencies have an opportunity |
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to consult with and obtain feedback from local governmental |
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entities and officials, including municipal and county officials, |
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local school district officials, and representatives of local law |
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enforcement agencies, and from other community stakeholders, |
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including major providers under the local health care system and |
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major employers of refugees, regarding proposed refugee placement; |
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(2) a local resettlement agency: |
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(A) considers all feedback obtained in meetings |
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conducted under Subdivision (1) before preparing a proposed annual |
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report on the placement of refugees for purposes of 8 U.S.C. Section |
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1522(b)(7)(E); |
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(B) informs the state and local governmental |
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entities and officials and community stakeholders described under |
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Subdivision (1) of the proposed annual report; and |
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(C) develops a final annual report for the |
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national voluntary agencies and the commission that includes a |
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summary regarding how stakeholder input contributed to the report; |
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and |
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(3) the commission: |
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(A) obtains from local resettlement agencies the |
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preliminary number of refugees the local resettlement agencies |
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recommended to the national voluntary agencies for placement in |
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communities throughout this state and provides that information to |
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local governmental entities and officials in those communities; and |
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(B) obtains from the United States Department of |
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State or other appropriate federal agency the number of refugees |
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apportioned to this state and provides that information and |
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information regarding the number of refugees intended to be placed |
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in each community in this state to local governmental entities and |
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officials in those communities. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2016, the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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adopt the rules required under Section 531.0411, Government Code, |
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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. |