Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2661 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8273 LED-D
2	2	By: Lucio III H.B. No. 2661
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the functions of the Office of Immigration and Refugee
8	8	Affairs and the Governor's Advisory Committee on Immigration and
9	9	Refugees.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 752.001, Government Code, is amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 752.001. OFFICE OF IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS.
14	14	The Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs is [created] within
15	15	the Health and Human Services Commission [Texas Department of Human
16	16	Services]. The office shall work in conjunction with the office of
17	17	the secretary of state.
18	18	SECTION 2. Section 752.003, Government Code, is amended to
19	19	read as follows:
20	20	Sec. 752.003. REFUGEE COORDINATOR. (a) The secretary of
21	21	state serves as the refugee coordinator for the office unless the
22	22	governor appoints a person under Subsection (b).
23	23	(b) The governor may [shall] appoint a person other than the
24	24	secretary of state as refugee coordinator for the office to serve at
25	25	the pleasure of the governor.
26	26	(c) The refugee coordinator shall serve as chief
27	27	administrative officer of the office and shall ensure coordination
28	28	of public and private resources in refugee resettlement.
29	29	SECTION 3. Section 752.004, Government Code, is amended to
30	30	read as follows:
31	31	Sec. 752.004. APPLICATION FOR AND DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL
32	32	FUNDS AND REIMBURSEMENTS. (a) The office shall apply for the
33	33	maximum amount of federal funds available through the Immigration
34	34	Reform and Control Act of 1986 (Pub. L. No. 99-603), the
35	35	Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.),
36	36	[and] the Refugee Act of 1980 (8 U.S.C. Section 1521 et seq.), and
37	37	other federal programs, as appropriate, for use in assisting state
38	38	agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and
39	39	faith-based organizations in addressing matters related to
40	40	immigrants and refugees. The office shall apply for those funds and
41	41	shall distribute the funds to agencies and other entities
42	42	responsible for providing services to immigrants, including newly
43	43	legalized aliens, and refugees in accordance with federal law. The
44	44	office may retain a portion of the federal funds to cover reasonable
45	45	costs incurred in securing and administering the funds. The office
46	46	may delegate to an appropriate state agency the administration of
47	47	funds under this section.
48	48	(b) The office shall seek reimbursement from the federal
49	49	government for any costs incurred by state agencies, local
50	50	governments, nonprofit organizations, and faith-based
51	51	organizations in addressing matters related to immigrants and
52	52	refugees.
53	53	SECTION 4. Section 752.007, Government Code, is amended to
54	54	read as follows:
55	55	Sec. 752.007. OTHER FUNCTIONS OF OFFICE. In addition to
56	56	other duties prescribed by this subchapter, the office shall:
57	57	(1) coordinate public and private programs for the
58	58	benefit of immigrants and refugees;
59	59	(2) receive and address inquiries relating to the
60	60	services available to immigrants or refugees at the local, state,
61	61	and federal levels; [and]
62	62	(3) assist local communities with the development of
63	63	programs to address the needs of immigrants and refugees at the
64	64	local level; and
65	65	(4) arrange meetings with appropriate local, state,
66	66	and federal authorities and the appropriate corresponding
67	67	authorities in Mexico to develop increased communication,
68	68	cooperation, and coordination to establish initiatives and
69	69	government-supported efforts that limit the entrance of
70	70	undocumented immigrants into this state.
71	71	SECTION 5. Section 752.021, Government Code, is amended to
72	72	read as follows:
73	73	Sec. 752.021. GOVERNOR'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION
74	74	AND REFUGEES. The Governor's Advisory Committee on Immigration and
75	75	Refugees is created within the office of the governor. The
76	76	committee shall advise and make recommendations to the Office of
77	77	Immigration and Refugee Affairs on immigration and refugee issues,
78	78	including [the SLIAG program authorized by the Immigration Reform
79	79	and Control Act of 1986 (8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.) and the]
80	80	refugee assistance programs [authorized by the Refugee Act of 1980
81	81	(8 U.S.C. Section 1521 et seq.)].
82	82	SECTION 6. Sections 752.022(a) and (c), Government Code,
83	83	are amended to read as follows:
84	84	(a) The committee is composed of 12 members appointed by the
85	85	governor with the advice and consent of the senate as follows:
86	86	(1) two representatives of the refugee population;
87	87	(2) two representatives of the immigrant population;
88	88	(3) three representatives of local provider programs
89	89	that serve immigrants or refugees and that receive federal funds,
90	90	with one each from a public health program, a public assistance
91	91	program, and an education program;
92	92	(4) three representatives from faith-based
93	93	organizations that assist local governments with matters related to
94	94	immigrants and refugees [voluntary resettlement agencies that
95	95	receive state or federal funds];
96	96	(5) one representative from a legal organization that
97	97	is involved in issues relating to immigrants or refugees; and
98	98	(6) one representative from a service organization
99	99	that works with immigrants or refugees.
100	100	(c) The governor shall appoint a member of the committee to
101	101	serve as the chair of the committee [for a one-year term].
102	102	SECTION 7. Subchapter B, Chapter 752, Government Code, is
103	103	amended by adding Section 752.0231 to read as follows:
104	104	Sec. 752.0231. OTHER LAW. Section 2110.008 does not apply
105	105	to the committee.
106	106	SECTION 8. Section 752.024, Government Code, is amended to
107	107	read as follows:
108	108	Sec. 752.024. FUNCTIONS OF COMMITTEE. The committee shall:
109	109	(1) advise and make recommendations to the Office of
110	110	Immigration and Refugee Affairs regarding policy, planning, and
111	111	priorities for matters related to immigrants and refugees [the
112	112	SLIAG program and refugee assistance programs];
113	113	(2) advise and make recommendations to the Office of
114	114	Immigration and Refugee Affairs regarding coordination of the
115	115	efforts of all public agencies involved in health, human services,
116	116	and education matters that relate to federal immigration and
117	117	refugee laws and rules [or implementation of the SLIAG program or
118	118	refugee assistance programs];
119	119	(3) encourage communication and cooperation among
120	120	local agencies and programs, state agencies, immigration-related
121	121	and refugee-related legal and service agencies, and the federal
122	122	government;
123	123	(4) assist the Office of Immigration and Refugee
124	124	Affairs in applying for the maximum amount of federal funds
125	125	available for immigrant-related [SLIAG-related] programs and
126	126	activities and refugee-related programs and activities and in
127	127	identifying local programs and costs relating to immigration or
128	128	refugees for which the state or a political subdivision may receive
129	129	reimbursement;
130	130	(5) provide information to programs and activities
131	131	that serve and encourage legalization and education of residents of
132	132	this state;
133	133	(6) review issues related to immigrants and refugees
134	134	[federal issues regarding the SLIAG program and refugee assistance
135	135	programs] and make recommendations to the Office of Immigration and
136	136	Refugee Affairs to encourage the development of a state response to
137	137	those [federal] issues;
138	138	(7) [review and make recommendations to the Office of
139	139	Immigration and Refugee Affairs and state agencies to ensure that
140	140	the system of fiscal and program operations for the SLIAG program
141	141	and refugee assistance programs is consistent with existing state
142	142	and federal requirements;
143	143	[(8)] assist the Office of Immigration and Refugee
144	144	Affairs in the development of an annual report on the status of
145	145	matters related to immigrants and refugees [the SLIAG program and
146	146	refugee assistance programs] in the state;
147	147	(8) [(9)] advise and make recommendations to the
148	148	Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs on other related matters
149	149	as directed by the governor; and
150	150	(9) [(10)] assist the Office of Immigration and
151	151	Refugee Affairs to better address issues related to immigrants and
152	152	refugees confronting the state and local communities [in the
153	153	development of a spending plan for fiscal years 1993 and 1994
154	154	proposing spending priorities for SLIAG funds for services to
155	155	eligible legalized aliens and for other federal funds available to
156	156	benefit immigrants or refugees in the state].
157	157	SECTION 9. (a) Not later than January 1, 2016, the governor
158	158	shall appoint the members of the Governor's Advisory Committee on
159	159	Immigration and Refugees as provided by Section 752.022(a),
160	160	Government Code, as amended by this Act. The committee is
161	161	re-created on the date the governor makes the appointments as
162	162	provided by this subsection.
163	163	(b) Notwithstanding Section 752.022(b), Government Code,
164	164	the terms of the members of the advisory committee appointed as
165	165	provided by Subsection (a) of this section expire February 1, 2017.
166	166	SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.