| 1 | 1 | | 84R4530 LED-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Schwertner, et al. S.B. No. 211 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the continuation and functions of the Governor's |
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| 8 | 8 | | Committee on People with Disabilities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 115.005, Human Resources Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 115.005. SUNSET PROVISION. The Governor's Committee |
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| 13 | 13 | | on People with Disabilities is subject to Chapter 325, Government |
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| 14 | 14 | | Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued in existence as provided |
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| 15 | 15 | | by that chapter, the committee is abolished and this chapter |
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| 16 | 16 | | expires September 1, 2027 [2015]. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. Section 115.009, Human Resources Code, is |
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| 18 | 18 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 19 | 19 | | Sec. 115.009. FUNCTIONS. The committee shall: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) serve as a central source of information and |
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| 21 | 21 | | education on the abilities, rights, problems, and needs of persons |
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| 22 | 22 | | with disabilities and, as necessary, issue reports; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) provide information to and advise the governor and |
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| 24 | 24 | | the governor's staff on matters relating to the full participation |
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| 25 | 25 | | of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) before the end of each even-numbered year, submit |
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| 27 | 27 | | to the governor and to the legislature a report that includes[: |
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| 28 | 28 | | [(A) the status of the state's compliance with |
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| 29 | 29 | | federal and state laws pertaining to rights and opportunities for |
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| 30 | 30 | | persons with disabilities and recommendations to achieve further |
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| 31 | 31 | | compliance, if necessary; |
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| 32 | 32 | | [(B) a long-range state plan for persons with |
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| 33 | 33 | | disabilities and recommendations to implement that plan; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | [(C)] any recommended changes in state laws |
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| 35 | 35 | | relating to persons with disabilities; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (4) serve as the state's liaison agency in working with |
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| 37 | 37 | | the President's Committee on Employment of Persons with |
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| 38 | 38 | | Disabilities and other entities involved in activities or concerns |
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| 39 | 39 | | affecting persons with disabilities; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (5) develop and work with a statewide network of |
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| 41 | 41 | | volunteer community-level committees to promote dissemination of |
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| 42 | 42 | | information about and implementation of federal and state laws |
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| 43 | 43 | | addressing rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (6) [evaluate the state's compliance with the federal |
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| 45 | 45 | | Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Pub. L. No. 101-336) and |
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| 46 | 46 | | other federal and state statutes relating to rights and |
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| 47 | 47 | | opportunities for persons with disabilities; |
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| 48 | 48 | | [(7)] provide information and technical assistance to |
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| 49 | 49 | | public and private agencies and businesses to promote and |
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| 50 | 50 | | facilitate implementation of the [federal] Americans with |
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| 51 | 51 | | Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq.)[(Pub. L. |
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| 52 | 52 | | No. 101-336)] and other federal and state statutes relating to |
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| 53 | 53 | | rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (7) [ (8) collect and evaluate data on employment of |
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| 55 | 55 | | persons with disabilities by state agencies; |
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| 56 | 56 | | [(9)] work with legislative committees and with state |
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| 57 | 57 | | agencies on the development of laws and policies that affect |
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| 58 | 58 | | persons with disabilities; |
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| 59 | 59 | | (8) [(10)] promote the compilation and publication of |
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| 60 | 60 | | state laws relating to persons with disabilities; [and] |
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| 61 | 61 | | (9) [(11)] issue awards and other forms of recognition |
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| 62 | 62 | | to persons and organizations making outstanding contributions to |
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| 63 | 63 | | the employment of persons with disabilities and to public awareness |
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| 64 | 64 | | of issues impacting persons with disabilities; |
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| 65 | 65 | | (10) identify each current long-range plan relating to |
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| 66 | 66 | | persons with disabilities created by a state agency or a committee |
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| 67 | 67 | | of a state agency and publish the link to the Internet website |
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| 68 | 68 | | address for each long-range plan, if available, on the Internet |
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| 69 | 69 | | website of the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities; |
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| 70 | 70 | | and |
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| 71 | 71 | | (11) review and analyze the long-range plans described |
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| 72 | 72 | | by Subdivision (10) to identify gaps in state laws and services for |
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| 73 | 73 | | persons with disabilities and make biennial recommendations in the |
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| 74 | 74 | | committee's report required under Subdivision (3) to address |
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| 75 | 75 | | identified gaps. |
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| 76 | 76 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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