Bill Text: TX HB183 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the task force on asylum-seeking migrants.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-07-09 - Filed [HB183 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB183-Introduced.html
| By: Howard | H.B. No. 183 | |
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| relating to the establishment of the task force on asylum-seeking | ||
| migrants. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 403, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subchapter R to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER R. TASK FORCE ON ASYLUM-SEEKING MIGRANTS | ||
| Sec. 403.501. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Asylum-seeking migrant" means a person who is | ||
| seeking asylum in the United States and who has been released into a | ||
| community in this state by: | ||
| (A) the Office of Refugee Resettlement; | ||
| (B) United States Customs and Border Protection | ||
| or United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pending an | ||
| immigration hearing; | ||
| C) the Department of Public Safety; or | ||
| (D) any other state or federal law enforcement | ||
| agency stationed at the border. | ||
| (2) "Task force" means the task force on | ||
| asylum-seeking migrants. | ||
| Sec. 403.502. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSES. The task force on | ||
| asylum-seeking migrants is established to: | ||
| (1) study the humanitarian and fiscal impacts of the | ||
| presence of asylum-seeking migrants in this state related to: | ||
| (a) public education and school districts; | ||
| (b) open-enrollment charter schools; | ||
| (c) institutions of higher education; | ||
| (d) the provision of health and human services | ||
| and child protection; | ||
| e) the Texas Workforce Commission; | ||
| f) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as | ||
| well as the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, issues studied by | ||
| the Task Force shall include, but is not limited to, information | ||
| pertaining to: | ||
| (f-1) human trafficking; | ||
| (f-2) sex trafficking; and | ||
| (f-3) sexual assault; or | ||
| (g) other areas the Task Force determines to be | ||
| relevant in the production of the report. | ||
| (2) produce a report outlining the status of | ||
| asylum-seeking migrants in this state and distribute that report to | ||
| state officials. | ||
| Sec. 403.503. COMPOSITION. The task force is composed of | ||
| twelve members to be appointed by the comptroller as follows: | ||
| (1) one representative of a faith-based organization | ||
| providing direct services to asylum-seeking migrants in this state; | ||
| (2) one representative of a community-based | ||
| organization providing direct services to asylum-seeking migrants | ||
| in this state; | ||
| (3) one member who is a superintendent of a school | ||
| district from the border region of Texas; | ||
| (4) one representative of a law enforcement agency; | ||
| (5) one representative of the Texas Education Agency; | ||
| (6) one representative of the Health and Human | ||
| Services Commission; | ||
| (7) one representative of the comptroller; | ||
| (8) one representative of the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordination Board; | ||
| (9) one representative of the Texas Department of | ||
| Criminal Justice; | ||
| (10) one representative of the Texas Juvenile Justice | ||
| Department; and | ||
| (11) one member from the Texas House and Texas Senate | ||
| who represent a region of the border. | ||
| Sec. 403.504. MEETINGS. (a) The task force shall meet at | ||
| least three times each year and may hold additional meetings in | ||
| person or by conference call if necessary. | ||
| (b) Section 551.125 applies to a meeting held by conference | ||
| call under this section, except that Section 551.125(b) does not | ||
| apply. | ||
| Sec. 403.505. COMPENSATION. A member of the task force may | ||
| not receive compensation for service on the task force. | ||
| Sec. 403.506. REPORT. (a) Using funds available to the | ||
| task force under Section 403.507, the task force shall partner with | ||
| an independent third party to produce a report outlining the status | ||
| of asylum-seeking migrants in this state. | ||
| (b) The task force shall submit the report to the governor, | ||
| lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and | ||
| comptroller no later than December 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023. | ||
| Sec. 403.507. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The | ||
| comptroller may accept on behalf of the task force a gift, grant, or | ||
| donation from any source to carry out the purposes of this | ||
| subchapter. Notwithstanding any other provision of this | ||
| subchapter, the comptroller is not required to convene the task | ||
| force to produce the report if sufficient private gifts, grants, or | ||
| donations are not available. | ||
| Sec. 403.508. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and | ||
| this subchapter expires January 1, 2024. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 31, 2021, the | ||
| comptroller of public accounts shall, subject to Section 403.507, | ||
| Government Code, as added by this Act, convene the task force | ||
| required under Subchapter R, Chapter 403, Government Code, as added | ||
| by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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, 2021. | ||
