84R31414 KFF-D
By: Seliger S.B. No. 1928
(Price)
Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1928: No.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to ensuring local governmental and community input in any
federal refugee resettlement program established in this state.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 531.0411 to read as follows:
Sec. 531.0411. RULES REGARDING REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT. (a)
In this section, "local resettlement agency" and "national
voluntary agency" have the meanings assigned by 45 C.F.R. Section
400.2.
(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to ensure
that local governmental and community input is included in any
refugee placement report required under a federal refugee
resettlement program and that governmental entities and officials
are provided with related information. In adopting rules under
this section, the executive commissioner shall, to the extent
permitted under federal law, ensure that:
(1) meetings are convened, at least quarterly, in the
communities proposed for refugee placement at which
representatives of local resettlement agencies have an opportunity
to consult with and obtain feedback from local governmental
entities and officials, including municipal and county officials,
local school district officials, and representatives of local law
enforcement agencies, and from other community stakeholders,
including major providers under the local health care system and
major employers of refugees, regarding proposed refugee placement;
(2) a local resettlement agency:
(A) considers all feedback obtained in meetings
conducted under Subdivision (1) before preparing a proposed annual
report on the placement of refugees for purposes of 8 U.S.C. Section
1522(b)(7)(E);
(B) informs the state and local governmental
entities and officials and community stakeholders described under
Subdivision (1) of the proposed annual report; and
(C) develops a final annual report for the
national voluntary agencies and the commission that includes a
summary regarding how stakeholder input contributed to the report;
and
(3) the commission:
(A) obtains from local resettlement agencies the
preliminary number of refugees the local resettlement agencies
recommended to the national voluntary agencies for placement in
communities throughout this state and provides that information to
local governmental entities and officials in those communities; and
(B) obtains from the United States Department of
State or other appropriate federal agency the number of refugees
apportioned to this state and provides that information and
information regarding the number of refugees intended to be placed
in each community in this state to local governmental entities and
officials in those communities.
SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2016, the executive
commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
adopt the rules required under Section 531.0411, Government Code,
as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.