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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to communicable disease prevention for federal |
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immigration detention facilities located near an international |
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border. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter F, Chapter 12, Health |
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and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER F. [OFFICE OF] BORDER HEALTH |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 12, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 12.075 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.075. COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PREVENTION FOR FEDERAL |
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IMMIGRATION DETENTION FACILITY AND SURROUNDING AREA. (a) In this |
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section, "federal immigration detention facility" means a facility |
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that is operated by or under contract with United States |
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce federal immigration |
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laws and that detains immigrants. |
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(b) The department, in consultation and collaboration with |
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the Office of State-Federal Relations, the secretary of state, and |
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the attorney general, shall seek to enter into a memorandum of |
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understanding or other agreement with the appropriate federal |
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agencies or federal contractors operating federal immigration |
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detention facilities located in a county along the international |
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border with Mexico. |
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(c) The memorandum of understanding or agreement entered |
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into under Subsection (b) must: |
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(1) establish appropriate protocols and procedures to |
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prevent the spread of communicable disease; |
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(2) require notice to a local or county health |
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authority of a public health condition that may become a public |
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health risk for the area surrounding a federal immigration |
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detention facility if left untreated; and |
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(3) authorize the department to establish a state |
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program in collaboration with the appropriate federal agencies or |
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contractors to mitigate the public health risks related to federal |
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immigration detention facilities. |
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(d) If authorized by the memorandum of understanding or |
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agreement entered into under Subsection (b), the department may |
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establish and operate a program to prevent the spread of |
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communicable disease from a federal immigration detention |
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facility. |
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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, 2019. |