Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1761 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R4568 AAF-D
2	2	By: Guillen H.B. No. 1761
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the oversight of state border security activities.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 421.0025, Government Code, is
10	10	transferred to Subchapter B, Chapter 421, Government Code,
11	11	redesignated as Section 421.0255, Government Code, and amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 421.0255 [421.0025]. BORDER SECURITY ADVISORY
14	14	COUNCIL. (a) The Border Security Advisory Council consists of:
15	15	(1) the executive head of each state agency receiving
16	16	state appropriations for purposes related to security at or near
17	17	this state's international border, or the executive head's
18	18	designee;
19	19	(2) representatives of at least three local
20	20	governmental entities receiving local border security grant
21	21	funding from the Department of Public Safety, appointed by the
22	22	governor, or, if fewer than three entities receive that grant
23	23	funding, representatives of at least one-third of the entities that
24	24	receive that grant funding, appointed by the governor; and
25	25	(3) at least three mayors of municipalities in which
26	26	state appropriations for purposes related to security at or near
27	27	this state's international border are spent, appointed by the
28	28	governor, or representatives designated by those mayors [members
29	29	appointed by the governor].
30	30	[(a-1) At least one-third of the members appointed under
31	31	Subsection (a) must be residents of the Texas-Mexico border region,
32	32	as defined by Section 2056.002.]
33	33	(b) The Border Security Advisory Council shall develop and
34	34	recommend to the Homeland Security Council [office of the governor]
35	35	performance standards, reporting requirements, audit methods, and
36	36	other procedures to ensure that funds allocated [by the office of
37	37	the governor] for purposes related to security at or near this
38	38	state's international border are used properly and that the
39	39	recipients of the funds are accountable for the proper use of the
40	40	funds. The advisory council shall publish on the office of the
41	41	governor's website the recommendations made to the Homeland
42	42	Security Council under this subsection.
43	43	(c) The Border Security Advisory Council shall advise the
44	44	Homeland Security Council [office of the governor] regarding the
45	45	allocation of funds [by the office] for purposes related to
46	46	security at or near this state's international border.
47	47	Recommendations relating to the allocation of those funds must be
48	48	made by a majority of the members of the advisory council.
49	49	(d) The governor shall designate one member of the Border
50	50	Security Advisory Council as the chair. The chair shall arrange
51	51	meetings of the Border Security Advisory Council at times
52	52	determined by the members of the advisory council.
53	53	(e) The meetings of the Border Security Advisory Council are
54	54	subject to the requirements of Chapter 551 to the same extent as
55	55	similar meetings of the Public Safety Commission. The plans and
56	56	recommendations of the Border Security Advisory Council are subject
57	57	to the requirements of Chapter 552 to the same extent as similar
58	58	plans and recommendations of the Department of Public Safety of the
59	59	State of Texas.
60	60	(f) Service on the Border Security Advisory Council by a
61	61	state officer or employee or by an officer or employee of a local
62	62	government is an additional duty of the member's office or
63	63	employment.
64	64	SECTION 2. Section 421.026, Government Code, is amended to
65	65	read as follows:
66	66	Sec. 421.026. REPORT. The council shall annually submit to
67	67	the governor a report stating:
68	68	(1) the status and funding of state programs designed
69	69	to detect and deter homeland security emergencies, including the
70	70	status and funding of counterterrorism efforts;
71	71	(2) recommendations on actions to reduce threats to
72	72	homeland security, including threats related to terrorism; [and]
73	73	(3) recommendations for improving the alert,
74	74	response, and recovery capabilities of state and local agencies;
75	75	and
76	76	(4) an assessment of the performance of, reporting
77	77	requirements for, and allocation of state agency funding for this
78	78	state's border security activities.
79	79	SECTION 3. (a) The positions of the members of the Border
80	80	Security Council are abolished on the effective date of this Act.
81	81	(b) As soon as practicable on or after the effective date of
82	82	this Act, the governor shall appoint members of the Border Security
83	83	Advisory Council under Sections 421.0255(a)(2) and (3), Government
84	84	Code, as transferred, redesignated, and amended by this Act.
85	85	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.