| 1 | 1 | | 85R6356 JG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Blanco H.B. No. 1202 |
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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 a study on the effectiveness of Operation Secure Texas. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "Homeland Security |
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| 10 | 10 | | Council" means the advisory entity created under Subchapter B, |
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| 11 | 11 | | Chapter 421, Government Code. |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 2. STUDY OF OPERATION SECURE TEXAS. The Homeland |
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| 13 | 13 | | Security Council shall conduct a study to evaluate the |
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| 14 | 14 | | effectiveness of Operation Secure Texas. |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 3. SCOPE OF STUDY. (a) The study must: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) evaluate how effectively state financial |
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| 17 | 17 | | resources were used to address the threat of drug cartel crime along |
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| 18 | 18 | | the international border during the operation; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) evaluate how effectively state financial |
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| 20 | 20 | | resources are currently being used to address the threat of drug |
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| 21 | 21 | | cartel crime along the international border; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) compare the estimated amount of controlled |
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| 23 | 23 | | substances illegally transported across the border during |
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| 24 | 24 | | Operation Secure Texas with the amount of controlled substances |
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| 25 | 25 | | illegally transported across the border during a comparable period |
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| 26 | 26 | | immediately before the date the operation began; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (4) compare the estimated number of firearms illegally |
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| 28 | 28 | | transported across the border during Operation Secure Texas with |
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| 29 | 29 | | the estimated number of firearms illegally transported across the |
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| 30 | 30 | | border during a comparable period immediately before the date the |
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| 31 | 31 | | operation began. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) In conducting the study, the Homeland Security Council |
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| 33 | 33 | | shall solicit input from and collaborate with: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) local law enforcement agencies and officials, |
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| 35 | 35 | | including county sheriffs' departments and local police |
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| 36 | 36 | | departments, on best practices for improving state efforts to |
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| 37 | 37 | | combat drug and firearms trafficking; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) to the extent feasible, the United States Border |
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| 39 | 39 | | Patrol. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 4. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The Homeland |
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| 41 | 41 | | Security Council shall issue a written report to the governor, the |
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| 42 | 42 | | lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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| 43 | 43 | | representatives that includes the council's findings. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) The report must be issued not later than November 30, |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2018. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 5. EXPIRATION. This Act expires December 1, 2018. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 48 | 48 | | 1, 2017. |
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