Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB824 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Lucio S.B. No. 824
2	2	(Callegari)
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the coordination of rural and small community
8	8	initiatives.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Title 7, Government Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Chapter 793 to read as follows:
12	12	CHAPTER 793. COORDINATION OF RURAL AND SMALL COMMUNITIES
13	13	Sec. 793.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
14	14	(1) "Agency" means a state office, institution, or
15	15	other state governmental entity that is in the executive branch of
16	16	state government.
17	17	(2) "Coordinator" means the rural and small community
18	18	coordinator.
19	19	Sec. 793.002. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION OF RURAL AND SMALL
20	20	COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. (a) The governor may designate an employee
21	21	of the governor's office, an agency, or the office of the secretary
22	22	of state to act as the state's rural and small community
23	23	coordinator. The coordinator shall:
24	24	(1) examine state and federal programs that address
25	25	the needs of rural and small communities;
26	26	(2) act as an ombudsman for governmental agencies
27	27	within the state to help reduce regulations by improving
28	28	communication and cooperation between federal, state, and local
29	29	governments;
30	30	(3) study the best practices found in other states and
31	31	within the state and work with agencies to develop a coordinated
32	32	state plan to implement similar programs tailored to the needs of
33	33	the state's rural and small communities; and
34	34	(4) work with federal, state, and local governmental
35	35	entities to resolve any infrastructure, capacity, and economic
36	36	development problems to allow rural and small communities to:
37	37	(A) manage better guided growth; and
38	38	(B) become less dependent on state funds and
39	39	services.
40	40	(b) The coordinator shall coordinate programs and
41	41	initiatives that address the needs of rural and small communities:
42	42	(1) within the agency; and
43	43	(2) with other agencies and local officials involved
44	44	in rural and small community projects in the state.
45	45	(c) The coordinator shall work with other agencies and local
46	46	officials involved in rural and small community projects in the
47	47	state to:
48	48	(1) coordinate efforts to address rural and small
49	49	community issues;
50	50	(2) identify nonprofit self-help groups and community
51	51	development organizations to help with rural and small community
52	52	initiatives;
53	53	(3) set goals for each state fiscal year for rural and
54	54	small community initiatives in the state, including goals to:
55	55	(A) address regional asset identification and
56	56	development;
57	57	(B) ensure access to state and federal programs
58	58	through better outreach and application streamlining;
59	59	(C) increase international competitiveness,
60	60	import capacity, and export capacity;
61	61	(D) increase potential for entrepreneurial and
62	62	small business development opportunities;
63	63	(E) improve technical assistance needed to build
64	64	local capacity;
65	65	(F) assist efforts for youth retention and
66	66	workforce skill development; and
67	67	(G) increase regional planning and coordination;
68	68	(4) ensure that the goals set under this subsection
69	69	are met each state fiscal year; and
70	70	(5) coordinate state outreach efforts to rural and
71	71	small communities and to stakeholders capable of providing needed
72	72	services.
73	73	(d) If the governor designates a coordinator under
74	74	Subsection (a), the following agencies shall designate an officer
75	75	or employee of the agency to serve as the agency's liaison to the
76	76	coordinator:
77	77	(1) the Texas Department of Rural Affairs;
78	78	(2) the Texas Water Development Board;
79	79	(3) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;
80	80	(4) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
81	81	Affairs;
82	82	(5) the Health and Human Services Commission;
83	83	(6) the Parks and Wildlife Department;
84	84	(7) the Texas Department of Transportation;
85	85	(8) the Department of Public Safety of the State of
86	86	Texas;
87	87	(9) the office of the secretary of state;
88	88	(10) the Department of Agriculture;
89	89	(11) the office of the comptroller; and
90	90	(12) the Texas Workforce Commission.
91	91	(e) Each agency's liaison under Subsection (d) must be a
92	92	deputy executive director or a person of equivalent or higher
93	93	authority at the agency. This subsection does not authorize the
94	94	creation of a new position for rural and small community
95	95	coordination at a state agency.
96	96	(f) In coordinating rural and small community initiatives
97	97	under this section, the coordinator shall consider the advice and
98	98	recommendations of an advisory committee established under Section
99	99	793.003.
100	100	Sec. 793.003. TEXAS RURAL AND SMALL COMMUNITY ADVISORY
101	101	COMMITTEES. (a) The coordinator may appoint advisory committees
102	102	as necessary to assist the coordinator in the coordinator's duties.
103	103	An advisory committee may be composed of private citizens and
104	104	representatives from state and local governmental entities. A
105	105	state or local governmental entity shall appoint a representative
106	106	to an advisory committee at the request of the coordinator.
107	107	(b) The coordinator shall create a rural advisory committee
108	108	to advise the coordinator in rural policy priorities and
109	109	administration of community development and health programs that
110	110	impact rural communities. The coordinator shall appoint elected
111	111	officials and community members with expertise in community
112	112	development, economic development, and rural health to serve as
113	113	members of the committee. The coordinator may appoint individuals
114	114	with expertise in education or transportation, as determined by the
115	115	coordinator, to serve as members of the committee.
116	116	(c) Chapter 2110 does not apply to an advisory committee
117	117	created under this section.
118	118	Sec. 793.004. QUARTERLY REPORTS. Each entity represented
119	119	on an advisory committee established under Section 793.003 shall
120	120	submit quarterly reports to the coordinator regarding any action
121	121	taken by the entity on behalf of the advisory committee or in
122	122	furtherance of a plan or recommendation adopted by the advisory
123	123	committee, including:
124	124	(1) the status of projects;
125	125	(2) the funding of expenditures;
126	126	(3) the planning and research conducted;
127	127	(4) the community and technical assistance provided;
128	128	(5) the information collected; and
129	129	(6) the direct role of the entity in promoting
130	130	community and economic development through federal, state, and
131	131	local government funding.
132	132	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
133	133	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
134	134	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
135	135	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
136	136	Act takes effect September 1, 2011.