| 1 | | - | By: Zaffirini, Hinojosa S.B. No. 1745 |
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| 1 | + | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1745 |
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| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 2021; March 26, 2021, read |
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| 3 | + | first time and referred to Committee on Local Government; |
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| 4 | + | May 13, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, |
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| 5 | + | Nays 0, one present not voting; May 13, 2021, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 2 | 7 | | |
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| 3 | 8 | | |
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| 4 | 9 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 10 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 11 | | relating to the creation of a joint interim committee to study |
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| 7 | 12 | | colonias and colonia initiatives in this state. |
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| 8 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 14 | | SECTION 1. INTERIM COMMITTEE; STUDY. (a) In this section, |
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| 10 | 15 | | "colonia" has the meaning assigned by Section 2306.581, Government |
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| 11 | 16 | | Code. |
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| 12 | 17 | | (b) A joint interim committee is established to study |
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| 13 | 18 | | colonias and colonia initiatives in this state. |
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| 14 | 19 | | (c) The joint interim committee is composed of the members |
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| 15 | 20 | | of the standing committees of the legislature with primary |
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| 16 | 21 | | jurisdiction over colonias and colonia issues. The committee |
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| 17 | 22 | | members shall select a presiding officer from among the membership. |
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| 18 | 23 | | (d) In conducting the study under this section, the joint |
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| 19 | 24 | | interim committee shall: |
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| 20 | 25 | | (1) determine the best methods for updating and |
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| 21 | 26 | | maintaining colonia identification systems and for identifying and |
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| 22 | 27 | | classifying colonias in which the highest public health risks |
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| 23 | 28 | | exist; |
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| 24 | 29 | | (2) consider whether colonias should be defined |
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| 25 | 30 | | uniformly across all relevant state agencies and whether that |
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| 26 | 31 | | definition should include essential metrics such as: |
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| 27 | 32 | | (A) economic mobility levels; |
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| 28 | 33 | | (B) poverty levels; |
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| 29 | 34 | | (C) mortality rates; |
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| 30 | 35 | | (D) health professional shortage area scores; |
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| 31 | 36 | | and |
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| 32 | 37 | | (E) the average level of education attained by |
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| 33 | 38 | | colonia residents; |
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| 34 | 39 | | (3) to address the enduring lack of services and |
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| 35 | 40 | | infrastructure in colonias, assess best practices and funding needs |
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| 36 | 41 | | for surveying the services and infrastructure available in, and |
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| 37 | 42 | | demographics of, each colonia; |
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| 38 | 43 | | (4) assess the status of state agency tracking and |
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| 39 | 44 | | reporting of state-funded colonia projects and whether |
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| 40 | 45 | | improvements to the tracking or reporting mechanisms are necessary; |
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| 41 | 46 | | (5) determine and assess any non-infrastructure needs |
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| 42 | 47 | | within colonias and options for this state to address those needs; |
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| 43 | 48 | | and |
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| 44 | 49 | | (6) assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on |
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| 45 | 50 | | colonias and whether additional state services are necessary to |
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| 46 | 51 | | address those impacts. |
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| 47 | 52 | | (e) The joint interim committee has all other powers and |
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| 48 | 53 | | duties provided to a special or select committee by the rules of the |
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| 49 | 54 | | senate and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, |
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| 50 | 55 | | Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees |
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| 51 | 56 | | on administration. |
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| 52 | 57 | | (f) Not later than September 1, 2022, the joint interim |
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| 53 | 58 | | committee shall prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant |
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| 54 | 59 | | governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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| 55 | 60 | | legislature a written report that includes the findings of the |
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| 56 | 61 | | committee under this section, including any legislative |
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| 57 | 62 | | recommendations. |
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| 58 | 63 | | SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The joint interim |
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| 59 | 64 | | committee established by Section 1 of this Act is abolished and this |
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| 60 | 65 | | Act expires November 1, 2022. |
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| 61 | 66 | | SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 62 | 67 | | 1, 2021. |
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