| 16 | 12 | | voluntary agency" have the meanings assigned by 45 C.F.R. Section |
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| 17 | 13 | | 400.2. |
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| 18 | 14 | | (b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to ensure |
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| 19 | 15 | | that local governmental and community input is included in any |
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| 20 | 16 | | refugee placement report required under a federal refugee |
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| 21 | 17 | | resettlement program and that governmental entities and officials |
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| 22 | 18 | | are provided with related information. In adopting rules under |
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| 23 | 19 | | this section, the executive commissioner shall, to the extent |
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| 24 | 20 | | permitted under federal law, ensure that: |
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| 25 | 21 | | (1) meetings are convened, at least quarterly, in the |
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| 26 | 22 | | communities proposed for refugee placement at which |
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| 27 | 23 | | representatives of local resettlement agencies have an opportunity |
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| 28 | 24 | | to consult with and obtain feedback from local governmental |
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| 29 | 25 | | entities and officials, including municipal and county officials, |
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| 30 | 26 | | local school district officials, and representatives of local law |
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| 31 | 27 | | enforcement agencies, and from other community stakeholders, |
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| 32 | 28 | | including major providers under the local health care system and |
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| 33 | 29 | | major employers of refugees, regarding proposed refugee placement; |
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| 34 | 30 | | (2) a local resettlement agency: |
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| 35 | 31 | | (A) considers all feedback obtained in meetings |
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| 36 | 32 | | conducted under Subdivision (1) before preparing a proposed annual |
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| 37 | 33 | | report on the placement of refugees for purposes of 8 U.S.C. Section |
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| 38 | 34 | | 1522(b)(7)(E); |
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| 39 | 35 | | (B) informs the state and local governmental |
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| 40 | 36 | | entities and officials and community stakeholders described under |
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| 41 | 37 | | Subdivision (1) of the proposed annual report; and |
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| 42 | 38 | | (C) develops a final annual report for the |
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| 43 | 39 | | national voluntary agencies and the commission that includes a |
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| 44 | 40 | | summary regarding how stakeholder input contributed to the report; |
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| 45 | 41 | | and |
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| 46 | 42 | | (3) the commission: |
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| 47 | 43 | | (A) obtains from local resettlement agencies the |
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| 48 | 44 | | preliminary number of refugees the local resettlement agencies |
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| 49 | 45 | | recommended to the national voluntary agencies for placement in |
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| 50 | 46 | | communities throughout this state and provides that information to |
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| 51 | 47 | | local governmental entities and officials in those communities; and |
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| 52 | 48 | | (B) obtains from the United States Department of |
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| 53 | 49 | | State or other appropriate federal agency the number of refugees |
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| 54 | 50 | | apportioned to this state and provides that information and |
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| 55 | 51 | | information regarding the number of refugees intended to be placed |
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| 56 | 52 | | in each community in this state to local governmental entities and |
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| 57 | 53 | | officials in those communities. |
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| 58 | 54 | | SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2016, the executive |
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| 59 | 55 | | commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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| 60 | 56 | | adopt the rules required under Section 531.0411, Government Code, |
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| 61 | 57 | | as added by this Act. |
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| 62 | 58 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 63 | 59 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 64 | 60 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 65 | 61 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 66 | 62 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 63 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 64 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 65 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1928 passed the Senate on |
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| 66 | + | May 5, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that the |
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| 67 | + | Senate concurred in House amendment on May 30, 2015, by the |
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| 68 | + | following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 69 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 70 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 71 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1928 passed the House, with |
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| 72 | + | amendment, on May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 143, |
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| 73 | + | Nays 1, two present not voting. |
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| 74 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 75 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 76 | + | Approved: |
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| 77 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 78 | + | Date |
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| 79 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 80 | + | Governor |
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