86R2610 MTB-D
By: Blanco H.B. No. 255
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to efforts to encourage full participation in the 2020
federal decennial census by the residents of this state, including
the establishment of the Complete Count Commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the Every
Texan Counts Act.
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
(1) "Commission" means the Complete Count Commission
created by this Act.
(2) "Local government" means a municipality or county.
(3) "Member" means a member of the commission.
(4) "State agency" means a board, commission,
department, office, or other agency that is in the executive branch
of state government and was created by the constitution or a statute
of this state.
SECTION 3. COMMISSION. (a) The commission is composed of
the following members:
(1) seven persons appointed by the governor;
(2) one person appointed by the governor from a list
submitted by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(3) one person appointed by the lieutenant governor;
(4) one person from each of the 10 most populous
counties in this state, nominated by the county's respective county
judge;
(5) seven members from business, faith, and nonprofit
community-based organizations, appointed by the governor, to
represent the demographic, economic, and linguistic diversity of
this state;
(6) five members appointed by the secretary of state
to represent traditionally hard-to-count populations, three of
whom must be from counties located on the Texas-Mexico border;
(7) if a local government has created a local complete
count commission, members designated by the local commission; and
(8) the secretary of state, who serves as the chair of
the commission.
(b) A member serves at the pleasure of the member's
appointing official and vacancies shall be filled in the same
manner as the initial appointment. The commission shall meet not
later than the 30th day after the date initial appointments are made
under Subsections (a)(1)-(6) of this section. The commission shall
meet regularly as necessary at the call of the chair.
(c) A member may not receive compensation for service on the
commission, but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties. The
commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations to pay for those
expenses.
(d) The commission may employ a director and assistant
director on a two-thirds vote of the full membership of the
commission. The director and assistant director may be compensated
from money appropriated or available for that purpose.
SECTION 4. CENSUS OUTREACH STRATEGY. (a) The commission
shall develop, recommend, and assist in the administration of a
census outreach strategy to encourage full participation in the
2020 federal decennial census of population required by 13 U.S.C.
Section 141.
(b) The census outreach strategy must include:
(1) state agency initiatives to encourage
participation in the 2020 federal decennial census;
(2) the establishment and support of school-based
outreach programs;
(3) partnerships with nonprofit community-based
organizations; and
(4) a multilingual, multimedia campaign designed to
ensure an accurate and complete count of this state's population.
(c) To assist in carrying out its duties, the commission may
create and appoint subcommittees as appropriate and shall solicit
participation from relevant experts and practitioners involved in
census issues.
(d) The secretary of state shall:
(1) coordinate the census outreach strategy;
(2) provide administrative support to the commission;
and
(3) coordinate with all state agencies and
constitutional officers, as well as local governments, to identify
effective methods of outreach to residents of this state and to
provide resources to ensure the outreach program is successful and
that all residents of this state are counted.
(e) A state agency shall inform the secretary of state of
the agency's designated census coordinator and cooperate with and
provide support to the commission. Other state governmental
entities and local governments shall cooperate and provide all
reasonable assistance to the commission.
(f) Not later than December 31, 2019, the commission shall
submit a written report to the governor, lieutenant governor,
speaker of the house of representatives, and members of the
legislature with its recommendations and findings, including a
recommended outreach strategy for implementation for the 2020
federal decennial census.
SECTION 5. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Using available funds or
private donations, the governor shall establish and administer a
grant program to award grants to local governments for their
outreach efforts to encourage full participation in the 2020
federal decennial census of population required by 13 U.S.C.
Section 141.
(b) The governor shall adopt rules to implement and
administer the grant program created under this section, including
rules regarding applications by and eligibility of local
governments for grants under the program. Eligibility rules must
prioritize a local government that has:
(1) established census outreach efforts; and
(2) census tracts with traditionally hard-to-count
populations within its boundaries.
(c) The governor may accept gifts, grants, and donations for
the grant program created under this section.
SECTION 6. INITIAL APPOINTMENTS. As soon as practicable
after the effective date of this Act, the appointing officials
shall appoint members to the commission as provided by Section 3(a)
of this Act.
SECTION 7. ABOLISHMENT AND EXPIRATION. The commission and
the grant program created under this Act are abolished and this Act
expires on September 1, 2021.
SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2019.