BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1240 By: Guillen Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that the inconsistent definitions of the "Texas‑Mexico border region" across various state laws and agencies has led to confusion and inefficiencies in governmental operations, funding, program implementation, and resource allocation. H.B. 1240 seeks to reduce administrative confusion, improve coordination between state agencies, and ensure that resources intended for the border region are distributed fairly and efficiently by providing for a consistent definition of the "Texas-Mexico border region." CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 1240 amends the Education Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Transportation Code, and Water Code to revise the counties or geographic area considered part of the Texas-Mexico border region by designating as that region the counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live Oak, Loving, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Nueces, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, San Patricio, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala. The bill applies this revised designation to the following: the requirement for a state agency serving the border region to make a strategic operation plan; research on border region environmental issues by entities using state research or technology funds that is encouraged by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; the requirement for family practice residency training pilot programs that provide services to economically depressed or rural medically underserved areas to be located in the border region; the prosecution of border crime grant program established and administered by the governor's criminal justice division; the interagency work group on border issues; the border prosecution unit established within the governor's criminal justice division; the task force of border health officials established by the Department of State Health Services; the requirement for the Texas Transportation Commission, in enhancing existing sources of revenue and creating alternate sources of revenue, to increase private investment in the transportation infrastructure in the border region; and the Border Activity Tracker maintained and updated by the Texas Water Development Board that contains information about certain projects in the border region. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2026.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1240
By: Guillen
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1240
By: Guillen
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that the inconsistent definitions of the "Texas‑Mexico border region" across various state laws and agencies has led to confusion and inefficiencies in governmental operations, funding, program implementation, and resource allocation. H.B. 1240 seeks to reduce administrative confusion, improve coordination between state agencies, and ensure that resources intended for the border region are distributed fairly and efficiently by providing for a consistent definition of the "Texas-Mexico border region."
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 1240 amends the Education Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Transportation Code, and Water Code to revise the counties or geographic area considered part of the Texas-Mexico border region by designating as that region the counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live Oak, Loving, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Nueces, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, San Patricio, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala. The bill applies this revised designation to the following: the requirement for a state agency serving the border region to make a strategic operation plan; research on border region environmental issues by entities using state research or technology funds that is encouraged by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; the requirement for family practice residency training pilot programs that provide services to economically depressed or rural medically underserved areas to be located in the border region; the prosecution of border crime grant program established and administered by the governor's criminal justice division; the interagency work group on border issues; the border prosecution unit established within the governor's criminal justice division; the task force of border health officials established by the Department of State Health Services; the requirement for the Texas Transportation Commission, in enhancing existing sources of revenue and creating alternate sources of revenue, to increase private investment in the transportation infrastructure in the border region; and the Border Activity Tracker maintained and updated by the Texas Water Development Board that contains information about certain projects in the border region.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2026.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that the inconsistent definitions of the "Texas‑Mexico border region" across various state laws and agencies has led to confusion and inefficiencies in governmental operations, funding, program implementation, and resource allocation. H.B. 1240 seeks to reduce administrative confusion, improve coordination between state agencies, and ensure that resources intended for the border region are distributed fairly and efficiently by providing for a consistent definition of the "Texas-Mexico border region."
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1240 amends the Education Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Transportation Code, and Water Code to revise the counties or geographic area considered part of the Texas-Mexico border region by designating as that region the counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live Oak, Loving, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Nueces, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Real, Reeves, San Patricio, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Webb, Willacy, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala. The bill applies this revised designation to the following:
the requirement for a state agency serving the border region to make a strategic operation plan;
research on border region environmental issues by entities using state research or technology funds that is encouraged by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
the requirement for family practice residency training pilot programs that provide services to economically depressed or rural medically underserved areas to be located in the border region;
the prosecution of border crime grant program established and administered by the governor's criminal justice division;
the interagency work group on border issues;
the border prosecution unit established within the governor's criminal justice division;
the task force of border health officials established by the Department of State Health Services;
the requirement for the Texas Transportation Commission, in enhancing existing sources of revenue and creating alternate sources of revenue, to increase private investment in the transportation infrastructure in the border region; and
the Border Activity Tracker maintained and updated by the Texas Water Development Board that contains information about certain projects in the border region.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2026.