| 1 | 1 | | 89R15668 CS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Manuel H.B. No. 5236 |
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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 determination by a state agency that an area in this |
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| 10 | 10 | | state is a rural area. |
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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. Subtitle B, Title 10, Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Chapter 2063 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | CHAPTER 2063. STATE AGENCY DETERMINATION OF AREA AS RURAL |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 2063.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "state agency" |
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| 16 | 16 | | means a department, commission, board, office, or other agency in |
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| 17 | 17 | | the executive branch of state government, including a university |
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| 18 | 18 | | system or institution of higher education as defined by Section |
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| 19 | 19 | | 61.003, Education Code. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 2063.002. DETERMINATION THAT AREA IS RURAL. In |
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| 21 | 21 | | addition to any factor prescribed by other law and to the extent |
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| 22 | 22 | | authorized by that law, a state agency shall, when determining |
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| 23 | 23 | | whether an area of this state is a rural area, consider the |
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| 24 | 24 | | following factors: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) the economic need of the area, including whether |
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| 26 | 26 | | the area has high unemployment or low median income; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) health care accessibility in the area, including |
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| 28 | 28 | | whether the area has limited access to hospitals, doctors, or |
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| 29 | 29 | | mental health services; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) infrastructure development of the area, including |
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| 31 | 31 | | whether the area has adequate roads, public transit, or Internet |
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| 32 | 32 | | access; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) access to and quality of education in the area, |
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| 34 | 34 | | including an assessment of student poverty levels, resource |
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| 35 | 35 | | availability, and school funding levels. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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