By: Seliger S.B. No. 1928

(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2015; March 25, 2015, read first time and referred to Subcommittee on Border Security; April 21, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable committee substitute to Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; April 23, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 23, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1928 By: Lucio

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the rulemaking authority of the Health and Human Services Commission to provide for the placement of refugees in this state.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 531.041, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 531.041. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The commission has all the powers and duties necessary to administer this chapter.

(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules for gathering and considering community input on the local refugee placement reporting requirements for the United States refugee resettlement program.

(1) The rules must, at a minimum, require the local volunteer agencies to take the following actions:

(a) convene and conduct quarterly refugee placement consultations with state and local government and community stakeholders regarding proposed refugee placement;

(b) obtain feedback on the proposed refugee placement from community stakeholders including but not limited to city, county, and state officials; local health care systems; local school districts; and local law enforcement agencies; and major employers of refugees;

(c) consider all feedback obtained prior to releasing the annual proposed refugee placement report for the United States Department of State's Reception and Placement (R&P) program;

(d) develop a final refugee placement report for the national voluntary agencies and Health and Human Services Commission and include a summary of how stakeholder input contributed to the final request; and

(e) inform all community stakeholders, as described in Subsection (b), of the annual proposed refugee placement report.

SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2016, the Health and Human Services executive Commissioner shall adopt the rules as provided by Section 531.041(b), Government Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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