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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to accounting for costs incurred by the health and human |
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services system as a result of the presence in this state of persons |
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who are not lawfully present in the United States. |
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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 531.0255 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.0255. ACCOUNTING FOR COSTS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. |
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(a) Not later than the 30th day before the first day of each regular |
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legislative session, the commission shall issue to the speaker of |
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the house of representatives, the lieutenant governor, the |
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governor, and the attorney general a report of the financial costs |
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to the health and human services system incurred during the |
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preceding two-year period that resulted from the presence in this |
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state of persons who are not lawfully present in the United States. |
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(b) The report must include a separate accounting for the |
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costs incurred in specific categories of spending as determined by |
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the comptroller. |
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(c) On request of the commission, the comptroller shall |
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assist the commission in preparing the report. |
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SECTION 2. This state recognizes that it is the |
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responsibility of the federal government to maintain the security |
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of the national border to prevent unlawful entry of persons and |
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finds that the federal government should reimburse this state for |
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expenditures by the Health and Human Services Commission and the |
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health and human services agencies, as defined by Section 531.001, |
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Government Code, made necessary by the presence of persons in this |
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state who are not lawfully present in the United States. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |