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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to economic development and workforce retraining |
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opportunities in the transition to the use of clean energy sources. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 403.0285 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 403.0285. COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND |
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WORKFORCE RETRAINING IN CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION. (a) In this |
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section, "committee" means the Committee on Economic Development |
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and Workforce Retraining in the Clean Energy Transition. |
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(b) The governor shall appoint the Committee on Economic |
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Development and Workforce Retraining in the Clean Energy Transition |
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to assist the comptroller in identifying and evaluating economic |
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development and workforce retraining opportunities with regard to |
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the transition to clean energy sources. |
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(c) The committee is composed of not more than 21 members |
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and shall include: |
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(1) representatives of environmental justice |
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communities, environmental associations, and labor organizations; |
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(2) at least five representatives of industries that |
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use large amounts of energy; |
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(3) representatives of the renewable energy industry, |
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the oil and gas industry, including pipeline construction and |
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operation and refineries, and clean energy developers; and |
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(4) at least one representative from each of the |
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following agencies: |
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(A) the comptroller of public accounts; |
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(B) the office of the governor; |
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(C) the Railroad Commission of Texas; |
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(D) the State Energy Conservation Office; |
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(E) the Texas Commission on Environmental |
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Quality; |
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(F) the Texas Department of Housing and Community |
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Affairs; and |
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(G) the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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(d) The governor shall solicit nominations for the |
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committee and select from among those nominated to the extent |
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possible in order to meet the requirements of Subsection (c). |
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(e) The committee shall advise the comptroller by |
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identifying: |
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(1) opportunities for workforce development and |
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training related to energy efficiency measures, renewable energy, |
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and other clean energy technologies, with specific focus on |
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training and workforce opportunities for individuals from |
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disadvantaged communities and other groups that may be |
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underrepresented in the workforce, including veterans, women, and |
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formerly incarcerated persons; |
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(2) industries that use large amounts of energy and |
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trades related to those industries; |
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(3) impacts of the transition to the use of clean |
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energy sources on each sector of the state's workforce and ways to |
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maximize the skills and expertise of workers throughout the |
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transition; |
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(4) sites of electric generating facilities that may |
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be closed as a result of the transition to the use of clean energy |
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sources and the issues and opportunities presented by reuse of |
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those sites; |
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(5) potential effects of state or federal greenhouse |
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gas emissions limits on state industries and local communities, |
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including the impact of any potential carbon reduction measures on |
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the competitiveness of state business and industry; and |
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(6) any other matters relevant to the workforce of the |
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state with regard to the transition to the use of clean energy |
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sources. |
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(f) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the |
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State Energy Conservation Office shall provide the committee with |
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facilities, data, and other assistance necessary for the committee |
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to carry out its duties under this section. A state agency or |
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political subdivision of this state shall provide the committee |
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with facilities, data, and other assistance as requested by the |
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committee to carry out its duties under this section. |
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(g) The committee may enter into an interagency agreement |
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with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Public |
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Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the |
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Texas Workforce Commission, or another state agency for technical |
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advice or assistance as necessary to complete the requirements of |
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this section. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2022, the |
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comptroller, with the advice of the Committee on Economic |
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Development and Workforce Retraining in the Clean Energy |
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Transition, shall prepare a report on the effects and opportunities |
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of the transition to clean energy, including: |
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(1) issues and opportunities related to industries |
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that use large amounts of energy and trades associated with those |
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industries; |
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(2) clean energy workforce development for: |
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(A) workers in industries that may be negatively |
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affected by the transition to the use of clean energy sources; and |
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(B) disadvantaged communities and other segments |
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of the population that are underrepresented in the state's |
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workforce; |
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(3) measures to minimize the loss of jobs and industry |
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that would be associated with the imposition of any potential |
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greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies or other energy sector |
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mandates related to greenhouse gases; |
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(4) the number of jobs that have been created to |
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counter climate change, including in the energy, building, |
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transportation, and working lands sectors; |
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(5) the projection of the inventory of jobs needed and |
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the skills and training required to meet the demand of jobs to |
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counter climate change; and |
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(6) other issues related to workforce disruption due |
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to community transitions from an economy based on fossil fuels. |
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(b) The comptroller shall make the report described by |
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Subsection (a) of this section available to the public on the |
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comptroller's Internet website and deliver the report to: |
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(1) the governor; |
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(2) the lieutenant governor; |
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(3) the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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(4) the chair and vice chair of the: |
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(A) House Environmental Regulation Committee; |
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(B) House State Affairs Committee; |
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(C) Senate Natural Resources Committee; and |
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(D) Senate Business and Commerce Committee. |
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(c) This section expires September 1, 2023. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2021, the governor |
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shall make the appointments to the Committee on Economic |
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Development and Workforce Retraining in the Clean Energy Transition |
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as required by Section 403.0285, Government Code, as added by this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2021. |