| 1 | 1 | | 89R3048 JCG-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 176 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the provisions required in an interstate compact on |
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| 10 | 10 | | border security. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 794, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | adding Section 794.0001 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 794.0001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "illegal |
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| 15 | 15 | | alien" means a person who: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) is not a citizen or national of the United States; |
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| 17 | 17 | | and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) is unlawfully present in the United States |
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| 19 | 19 | | according to the terms of 8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 794.003, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 21 | 21 | | read as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 794.003. INTERSTATE COMPACT PROVISIONS. The compact |
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| 23 | 23 | | authorized by this chapter must provide for joint action among |
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| 24 | 24 | | compacting states on matters that include: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) sharing law enforcement intelligence on illegal |
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| 26 | 26 | | activity occurring at the border with Mexico; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) sharing state resources in order to build a |
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| 28 | 28 | | physical barrier, a comprehensive technological surveillance |
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| 29 | 29 | | system, or both, on state land to deter or detect illegal activity |
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| 30 | 30 | | occurring at the border with Mexico; [and] |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) sharing other law enforcement resources to ensure |
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| 32 | 32 | | the protection of personnel and property; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) to the greatest extent possible given the |
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| 34 | 34 | | resources available, ensuring the operational control of the |
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| 35 | 35 | | Texas-Mexico border through the detection and apprehension or |
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| 36 | 36 | | deflection of illegal aliens attempting to cross that border into |
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| 37 | 37 | | this state; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (5) enforcing federal immigration laws, including the |
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| 39 | 39 | | laws governing detecting, apprehending, detaining, prosecuting, |
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| 40 | 40 | | releasing, and monitoring illegal aliens; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (6) providing mutual support for the resources, |
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| 42 | 42 | | including infrastructure, equipment, software, and personnel, that |
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| 43 | 43 | | are necessary or convenient to ensure that the purposes described |
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| 44 | 44 | | by this section are adequately supported and achieved. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter |
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| 46 | 46 | | 794, Government Code, apply only to an interstate compact entered |
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| 47 | 47 | | into under that chapter on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 48 | 48 | | An interstate compact entered into under that chapter before the |
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| 49 | 49 | | effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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| 50 | 50 | | date the interstate compact was entered into, and the former law is |
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| 51 | 51 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 53 | 53 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 54 | 54 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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