Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2137 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R259 MTB-D
2	2	By: Biedermann H.B. No. 2137
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to an interstate compact on border security, immigration
8	8	enforcement, and refugee resettlement.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Title 7, Government Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Chapter 793 to read as follows:
12	12	CHAPTER 793. INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION
13	13	ENFORCEMENT, AND REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
14	14	Sec. 793.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "illegal alien"
15	15	means a person who:
16	16	(1) is not a citizen or national of the United States;
17	17	and
18	18	(2) is unlawfully present in the United States
19	19	according to the terms of 8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.
20	20	Sec. 793.002. AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE INTERSTATE COMPACT. On
21	21	behalf of this state, the governor shall:
22	22	(1) coordinate, develop, and execute an interstate
23	23	compact for border security among interested states; and
24	24	(2) seek the approval of the United States Congress
25	25	for the compact.
26	26	Sec. 793.003. INTERSTATE COMPACT PROVISIONS. The compact
27	27	required by this chapter must provide for joint action among
28	28	compacting states on matters that include:
29	29	(1) the operational control of this state's border
30	30	with Mexico by the total detection and apprehension or deflection
31	31	of illegal aliens attempting to cross the border into this state;
32	32	(2) other enforcement of federal immigration laws,
33	33	including detecting, apprehending, detaining, prosecuting,
34	34	releasing, and monitoring of illegal aliens;
35	35	(3) notification from the federal government at least
36	36	30 days before the date refugees are resettled in a compacting
37	37	state, including access by a compacting state to vetting
38	38	information, security screening, in-person interviews, and health
39	39	assessments of refugees;
40	40	(4) establishment of a compacting state's right to
41	41	refuse a refugee offered by the federal government for resettlement
42	42	in the state;
43	43	(5) establishment of a refugee resettlement tracking
44	44	program among compacting states that:
45	45	(A) collects information on resettled refugees,
46	46	including the refugees' country of origin, historical and family
47	47	information, crime history, entry routes, fingerprints, and DNA
48	48	samples; and
49	49	(B) contains the information collected by
50	50	screening processes before refugees arrive in the compacting state;
51	51	(6) establishment of the compacting state's authority
52	52	to revoke refugee status for a refugee convicted of a felony and,
53	53	after the appropriate sentence is served, hold the former refugee
54	54	for immediate return to the former refugee's country of origin;
55	55	(7) establishment of a comprehensive assimilation
56	56	education program that tracks the assimilation of refugees in
57	57	accordance with United States laws, history, and culture;
58	58	(8) abolishment of the private agencies, operations,
59	59	and authorities in the compacting states performing refugee
60	60	resettlement functions and reapportionment of the federal contract
61	61	funds provided to those entities to the compacting states assuming
62	62	those functions; and
63	63	(9) establishment of standing for any legal action or
64	64	brief submitted to a federal court demanding injunctive relief from
65	65	federal executive orders that are not in the best interests of the
66	66	compacting states.
67	67	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
68	68	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
69	69	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
70	70	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
71	71	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.