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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a study group to study state unfunded |
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mandates that affect counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. STATE UNFUNDED MANDATE STUDY GROUP. (a) In this |
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Act, "study group" means the state unfunded mandate study group |
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created under this Act. |
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(b) The state unfunded mandate study group is created and |
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consists of nine members appointed as follows: |
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(1) three members appointed by the governor; |
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(2) three members appointed by the lieutenant |
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governor; and |
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(3) three members appointed by the speaker of the |
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house of representatives. |
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(c) In making the appointments under Subsection (b), the |
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governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of |
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representatives must each select three appointees as follows: |
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(1) one member who resides in a rural county; |
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(2) one member who resides in an urban county; and |
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(3) one member who resides in a suburban county. |
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(d) The governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the |
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house of representatives shall appoint the members of the study |
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group not later than October 1, 2017. |
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(e) The speaker of the house of representatives shall select |
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one of the members appointed by the speaker to be the initial |
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presiding officer of the study group. |
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(f) At the first meeting of the study group, the members of |
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the study group shall select one member of the study group as the |
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presiding officer of the study group. |
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(g) The study group shall meet at the call of the presiding |
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officer. |
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(h) A member of the study group serves without compensation |
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but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses |
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incurred in performing study group duties. |
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(i) The study group shall conduct a study of the mandates |
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imposed by state statutes or by rules adopted by state agencies that |
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require counties to establish, expand, or modify activities in a |
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way that requires the expenditure of revenue by the counties that |
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would not have been required in the absence of the mandates and for |
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which the state provides insufficient or no money. In conducting |
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the study, the study group must: |
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(1) define "state unfunded mandate"; |
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(2) identify each state unfunded mandate; |
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(3) determine the financial cost to counties of state |
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unfunded mandates; |
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(4) determine which state unfunded mandates should be |
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repealed or limited; and |
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(5) determine how to prevent the creation of new state |
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unfunded mandates that apply to counties. |
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(j) On request by the study group, a state agency shall |
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provide assistance to the study group, including necessary support |
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staff and facilities to hold meetings. |
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(k) Not later than August 31, 2018, the study group shall |
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submit a written report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, |
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the speaker of the house of representatives, and each member of the |
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legislature with its findings and recommendations. |
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(l) The study group is abolished and this Act expires |
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September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2017. |