Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1543 Compare Versions

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1	1	84R630 MK-D
2	2	By: Alvarado, Lucio III H.B. No. 1543
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation of the Advisory Council on Hispanic
8	8	Affairs in the office of the governor.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
11	11	by adding Chapter 470 to read as follows:
12	12	CHAPTER 470. ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISPANIC AFFAIRS
13	13	Sec. 470.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
14	14	(1) "Council" means the Advisory Council on Hispanic
15	15	Affairs.
16	16	(2) "State agency" includes an institution of higher
17	17	education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.
18	18	Sec. 470.002. ESTABLISHMENT. The Advisory Council on
19	19	Hispanic Affairs is established in the office of the governor to
20	20	advise the office on furthering the economic, social, legal, and
21	21	political contributions and equality of the Hispanic population of
22	22	this state.
23	23	Sec. 470.003. COMPOSITION; TERMS. (a) The council is
24	24	composed of nine members appointed as follows:
25	25	(1) one ex officio member of the legislature appointed
26	26	by the speaker of the house of representatives;
27	27	(2) one ex officio member of the legislature appointed
28	28	by the lieutenant governor; and
29	29	(3) seven members appointed by the governor.
30	30	(b) Members appointed by the speaker of the house and the
31	31	lieutenant governor serve two-year terms. Members appointed by the
32	32	governor serve four-year staggered terms, with either three or four
33	33	members' terms expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
34	34	(c) In making appointments to the council, the appointing
35	35	officials shall attempt to achieve geographic representation of the
36	36	Hispanic population from all areas of the state.
37	37	(d) The governor shall designate the chair and vice chair of
38	38	the council from among the members of the council.
39	39	Sec. 470.004. MEETINGS. The council shall meet at least
40	40	quarterly each fiscal year. The council may hold meetings by
41	41	conference call.
42	42	Sec. 470.005. COMPENSATION. A member of the council is not
43	43	entitled to compensation or reimbursement of expenses incurred in
44	44	performing council duties.
45	45	Sec. 470.006. DUTIES. The council shall:
46	46	(1) monitor existing programs and legislation
47	47	designed to meet the needs of the Hispanic population;
48	48	(2) serve as a liaison between the Hispanic community
49	49	and the office of the governor and other governmental entities;
50	50	(3) facilitate meetings with the Hispanic Caucus of
51	51	the senate, the Mexican American Legislative Caucus of the house of
52	52	representatives, and the office of the governor to address the
53	53	legislative needs of the Hispanic population;
54	54	(4) assist the secretary of state in inviting public
55	55	and business leaders from Spanish-speaking countries to the state;
56	56	(5) recommend Hispanics to serve on appointed state
57	57	boards and commissions;
58	58	(6) work with the state demographer to assess the
59	59	demographic indicators and milestones of the Hispanic population;
60	60	(7) collaborate with business organizations,
61	61	stakeholders, and the Texas Workforce Commission to review state
62	62	and local policies that affect business creation and expansion in
63	63	order to develop policy recommendations for:
64	64	(A) streamlining or eliminating unnecessary
65	65	barriers to business creation, retention, and expansion in order to
66	66	develop greater entrepreneurship opportunities that will benefit
67	67	the Hispanic population and Hispanic-owned businesses in high-need
68	68	areas;
69	69	(B) creating a better business climate to
70	70	increase job creation, retention, and expansion opportunities for
71	71	small and Hispanic-owned businesses;
72	72	(C) assisting in revitalizing the industrial,
73	73	manufacturing, and high-technology sectors of the state's economy
74	74	to better address the needs of the Hispanic workforce; and
75	75	(D) strengthening employment opportunities to
76	76	more effectively increase participation of Hispanics in
77	77	well-paying jobs and lower the unemployment rate within the
78	78	Hispanic population;
79	79	(8) analyze the employment policies and practices of
80	80	employers in the public and private sectors in order to develop
81	81	recommendations on improving equal opportunity and treatment for
82	82	the Hispanic population and other minorities in employment;
83	83	(9) evaluate the development of methods and
84	84	initiatives to assure fuller employment options and greater
85	85	employment opportunities for Hispanics;
86	86	(10) work with the education community and the private
87	87	sector to develop appropriate recommendations and initiatives
88	88	relating to the following goals:
89	89	(A) retaining Hispanic students in public
90	90	schools by decreasing the dropout rate;
91	91	(B) closing the education achievement gap;
92	92	(C) furthering the accomplishments of Hispanics
93	93	enrolled in institutions of higher education;
94	94	(D) increasing work-study, mentorship, and
95	95	financial assistance for Hispanic students;
96	96	(E) informing Hispanics about nontraditional
97	97	education and employment opportunities; and
98	98	(F) evaluating programs designed to provide
99	99	equal educational opportunities to the Hispanic population, as
100	100	mandated by state and federal law;
101	101	(11) review licensing and regulation requirements in
102	102	the state in order to:
103	103	(A) determine the effect of those requirements on
104	104	the Hispanic population's ability to enter into chosen occupations
105	105	and to compete in the free market; and
106	106	(B) develop recommendations to eliminate
107	107	burdensome licensing requirements that negatively affect job
108	108	growth and creation within the Hispanic community and other
109	109	constituencies;
110	110	(12) work with health and medical experts in the
111	111	private sector and at institutions of higher education to identify
112	112	pressing fundamental health concerns of the Hispanic population;
113	113	(13) address equal treatment of the Hispanic
114	114	population in the educational, judicial, and health systems by:
115	115	(A) analyzing the application to the Hispanic
116	116	population of the laws of this state that govern those systems;
117	117	(B) monitoring the implementation of laws that
118	118	affect the legal rights and duties of the Hispanic population; and
119	119	(C) educating members of the Hispanic population
120	120	about their legal rights and duties; and
121	121	(14) study and research any other related matter of
122	122	importance to the council or the governor.
123	123	Sec. 470.007. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The council shall
124	124	submit a report of the council's recommendations to the governor,
125	125	lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
126	126	not later than October 1 of each even-numbered year.
127	127	(b) The council shall include in the report recommendations
128	128	about:
129	129	(1) the status and funding of state programs designed
130	130	to address the needs of the Hispanic population; and
131	131	(2) reforms, policies, and statutory changes to
132	132	further the economic, social, legal, and political contributions of
133	133	Hispanics in the state.
134	134	Sec. 470.008. EXEMPTION. Chapter 2110 does not apply to the
135	135	council.
136	136	Sec. 470.009. ASSISTANCE OF STATE AGENCIES. State agencies
137	137	and political subdivisions of this state shall cooperate with the
138	138	council to the greatest extent practicable to fully implement the
139	139	council's statutory duties.
140	140	SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2015, the speaker of
141	141	the house of representatives, the lieutenant governor, and the
142	142	governor shall appoint the members of the Advisory Council on
143	143	Hispanic Affairs established by Chapter 470, Government Code, as
144	144	added by this Act. In appointing the initial members of the
145	145	council, the governor shall appoint three persons to terms expiring
146	146	February 1, 2017, and four to terms expiring February 1, 2019.
147	147	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
148	148	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
149	149	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
150	150	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
151	151	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.