| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the establishment of the Texas Commission on Border |
|
|
Security and Illegal Immigration. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 3, Government Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Chapter 330 to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 330. TEXAS COMMISSION ON BORDER SECURITY AND ILLEGAL |
|
|
IMMIGRATION |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS |
|
|
Sec. 330.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter is known as the |
|
|
Texas Commission on Border Security and Illegal Immigration Act. |
|
|
Sec. 330.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
|
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on Border |
|
|
Security and Illegal Immigration. |
|
|
(2) "State agency" means a department, board, |
|
|
commission, office, or other agency in the executive, legislative, |
|
|
or judicial branch of state government. The term includes an |
|
|
institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, |
|
|
Education Code. |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER B. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION |
|
|
Sec. 330.051. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION. The Texas |
|
|
Commission on Border Security and Illegal Immigration is an |
|
|
advisory commission composed of 11 members as follows: |
|
|
(1) the lieutenant governor or the lieutenant |
|
|
governor's designee; |
|
|
(2) the speaker of the house of representatives or the |
|
|
speaker's designee; |
|
|
(3) the governor or the governor's designee; |
|
|
(4) the attorney general or the attorney general's |
|
|
designee; |
|
|
(5) the comptroller or the comptroller's designee; |
|
|
(6) three members of the house of representatives |
|
|
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, not more |
|
|
than two of whom may be from the same political party; and |
|
|
(7) three members of the senate appointed by the |
|
|
lieutenant governor, not more than two of whom may be from the same |
|
|
political party. |
|
|
Sec. 330.052. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor or |
|
|
governor's designee or, at the discretion of the governor, the |
|
|
lieutenant governor or lieutenant governor's designee shall serve |
|
|
as presiding officer of the commission. |
|
|
Sec. 330.053. VOTE. A vote of the majority of the |
|
|
commission members present when a quorum is present is an action of |
|
|
the commission. |
|
|
Sec. 330.054. MEETINGS. The commission shall meet at least |
|
|
quarterly and at other times at the call of the presiding officer. |
|
|
Sec. 330.055. COMPENSATION; REIMBURSEMENT. A commission |
|
|
member is not entitled to compensation for the member's service but |
|
|
may receive per diem and travel expenses in accordance with the |
|
|
General Appropriations Act. |
|
|
Sec. 330.056. STAFF. The office of the governor shall staff |
|
|
the commission. |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER C. COMMISSION POWERS AND DUTIES |
|
|
Sec. 330.101. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The commission |
|
|
shall: |
|
|
(1) conduct a thorough review of the economic, legal, |
|
|
cultural, and educational impact of illegal immigration on this |
|
|
state and its political subdivisions; |
|
|
(2) conduct a thorough examination of state and |
|
|
federal laws relating to immigration, migration, and guest worker |
|
|
programs; |
|
|
(3) conduct a thorough review of state laws impacting |
|
|
illegal immigration; |
|
|
(4) develop a comprehensive list of infrastructure |
|
|
projects supporting border security in counties on the Texas-Mexico |
|
|
border; |
|
|
(5) study the impact of a state migrant worker program |
|
|
on providing employees to industries most in need of skilled or |
|
|
unskilled migrant labor; |
|
|
(6) develop a comprehensive, coordinated, and |
|
|
sustainable state plan to address: |
|
|
(A) illegal immigration and the influx of illegal |
|
|
immigration in this state; |
|
|
(B) immigration and the use of migrant workers in |
|
|
this state; and |
|
|
(C) integration of immigrants with residents of |
|
|
this state; |
|
|
(7) recommend to the governor and the legislature |
|
|
administrative and legislative actions necessary to implement the |
|
|
state plan described in Subdivision (6): |
|
|
(A) consistent with the respective |
|
|
constitutional powers, rights, and responsibilities of the United |
|
|
States and of this state; and |
|
|
(B) necessary to protect the health, safety, and |
|
|
welfare of the residents of this state; and |
|
|
(8) to encourage a comprehensive, coordinated, and |
|
|
sustainable state response to issues related to immigration, advise |
|
|
the governor and the legislature on proposed legislation related to |
|
|
border security and illegal immigration on request of: |
|
|
(A) the governor; |
|
|
(B) the lieutenant governor; |
|
|
(C) the speaker of the house of representatives; |
|
|
(D) a member of the minority party in the senate |
|
|
chosen by the senators who are members of that party; or |
|
|
(E) a member of the minority party in the house of |
|
|
representatives chosen by the representatives who are members of |
|
|
that party. |
|
|
Sec. 330.102. STATE AGENCY INFORMATION. (a) The |
|
|
commission may request a state agency to provide to the commission |
|
|
available agency information the commission considers necessary to |
|
|
discharge the commission's duties under this chapter. |
|
|
(b) A state agency shall cooperate with the commission to |
|
|
provide the requested information under Subsection (a): |
|
|
(1) to the extent not inconsistent with law; |
|
|
(2) within the limits of the agency's statutory |
|
|
authority; and |
|
|
(3) timely as necessary to accomplish the purposes of |
|
|
this chapter. |
|
|
Sec. 330.103. TESTIMONY; EXPERT CONSULTANTS. (a) In |
|
|
performing its powers and duties, the commission may invite |
|
|
testimony from the governor, legislators, state agencies, and |
|
|
members of the public. |
|
|
(b) The commission may consult with experts or other |
|
|
knowledgeable public or private individuals on any matter related |
|
|
to the commission's powers and duties under this chapter. |
|
|
Sec. 330.104. PUBLIC HEARING. The commission may hold one |
|
|
or more public hearings the commission considers advisable and in |
|
|
locations in this state the commission selects to afford interested |
|
|
persons an opportunity to appear and present views on any subject |
|
|
relating to the commission's powers and duties under this chapter. |
|
|
Sec. 330.105. REPORT. (a) The commission annually shall |
|
|
report to the legislature and governor on commission activities and |
|
|
recommendations. |
|
|
(a-1) The commission shall submit an initial report to the |
|
|
legislature and governor not later than six months after the date of |
|
|
the first commission meeting. The commission shall submit its |
|
|
first annual report to the legislature and governor not later than |
|
|
six months after the date the initial report is submitted, or as |
|
|
soon as practicable after that date. This subsection expires |
|
|
January 1, 2028. |
|
|
(b) The commission on request shall provide to members of |
|
|
the public any report submitted under this section. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |