82R5864 JJT-F By: Burnam H.B. No. 1900 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the applicability of certain unfunded mandates on political subdivisions. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 320.001, Government Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 320.001. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this chapter: (1) "Interagency work group" means the unfunded mandates interagency work group. (2) "Mandate" [, "mandate"] means a requirement made by a statute enacted by the legislature on or after January 1, 2011 [1997], that requires a political subdivision to establish, expand, or modify a duty or [an] activity in a way that requires the expenditure of revenue by the political subdivision that would not have been required in the absence of the statutory provision. SECTION 2. Chapter 320, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 320.002 and 320.005 to read as follows: Sec. 320.002. UNFUNDED MANDATES INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP. (a) The unfunded mandates interagency work group consists of: (1) the state auditor; (2) the director of the Legislative Budget Board; (3) the comptroller; (4) a senator appointed by the lieutenant governor; and (5) a member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. (b) A member of the interagency work group is not entitled to additional compensation for service on the work group. (c) A member of the interagency work group may use any person employed by the member's agency to complete the member's work on the interagency work group. (d) The members of the interagency work group may enter into an interagency memorandum of understanding regarding the completion of the work required by this chapter. Sec. 320.005. APPLICABILITY OF UNFUNDED MANDATES. A political subdivision is not required to comply with an unfunded mandate identified on the list published under Section 320.003(a). SECTION 3. Section 320.004, Government Code, is repealed. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011.