Bill Text: TX HB2137 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Bill 2137 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to an interstate compact on border security, immigration enforcement, and refugee resettlement.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-15 - Referred to State Affairs [HB2137 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-HB2137-Introduced.html

	85R259 MTB-D

	By: Biedermann	H.B. No. 2137



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to an interstate compact on border security, immigration
	enforcement, and refugee resettlement.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Title 7, Government Code, is amended by adding
	Chapter 793 to read as follows:
	CHAPTER 793. INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION
	ENFORCEMENT, AND REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
	Sec. 793.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "illegal alien"
	means a person who:
	(1) is not a citizen or national of the United States;
	and
	(2) is unlawfully present in the United States
	according to the terms of 8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq.
	Sec. 793.002. AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE INTERSTATE COMPACT. On
	behalf of this state, the governor shall:
	(1) coordinate, develop, and execute an interstate
	compact for border security among interested states; and
	(2) seek the approval of the United States Congress
	for the compact.
	Sec. 793.003. INTERSTATE COMPACT PROVISIONS. The compact
	required by this chapter must provide for joint action among
	compacting states on matters that include:
	(1) the operational control of this state's border
	with Mexico by the total detection and apprehension or deflection
	of illegal aliens attempting to cross the border into this state;
	(2) other enforcement of federal immigration laws,
	including detecting, apprehending, detaining, prosecuting,
	releasing, and monitoring of illegal aliens;
	(3) notification from the federal government at least
	30 days before the date refugees are resettled in a compacting
	state, including access by a compacting state to vetting
	information, security screening, in-person interviews, and health
	assessments of refugees;
	(4) establishment of a compacting state's right to
	refuse a refugee offered by the federal government for resettlement
	in the state;
	(5) establishment of a refugee resettlement tracking
	program among compacting states that:
	(A) collects information on resettled refugees,
	including the refugees' country of origin, historical and family
	information, crime history, entry routes, fingerprints, and DNA
	samples; and
	(B) contains the information collected by
	screening processes before refugees arrive in the compacting state;
	(6) establishment of the compacting state's authority
	to revoke refugee status for a refugee convicted of a felony and,
	after the appropriate sentence is served, hold the former refugee
	for immediate return to the former refugee's country of origin;
	(7) establishment of a comprehensive assimilation
	education program that tracks the assimilation of refugees in
	accordance with United States laws, history, and culture;
	(8) abolishment of the private agencies, operations,
	and authorities in the compacting states performing refugee
	resettlement functions and reapportionment of the federal contract
	funds provided to those entities to the compacting states assuming
	those functions; and
	(9) establishment of standing for any legal action or
	brief submitted to a federal court demanding injunctive relief from
	federal executive orders that are not in the best interests of the
	compacting states.
	SECTION 2. 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, 2017.