Bill Text: TX HB255 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to efforts to encourage full participation in the 2020 federal decennial census by the residents of this state, including the establishment of the Complete Count Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 21-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-19 - Referred to State Affairs [HB255 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB255-Introduced.html
86R2610 MTB-D | ||
By: Blanco | H.B. No. 255 |
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relating to efforts to encourage full participation in the 2020 | ||
federal decennial census by the residents of this state, including | ||
the establishment of the Complete Count Commission. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the Every | ||
Texan Counts Act. | ||
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: | ||
(1) "Commission" means the Complete Count Commission | ||
created by this Act. | ||
(2) "Local government" means a municipality or county. | ||
(3) "Member" means a member of the commission. | ||
(4) "State agency" means a board, commission, | ||
department, office, or other agency that is in the executive branch | ||
of state government and was created by the constitution or a statute | ||
of this state. | ||
SECTION 3. COMMISSION. (a) The commission is composed of | ||
the following members: | ||
(1) seven persons appointed by the governor; | ||
(2) one person appointed by the governor from a list | ||
submitted by the speaker of the house of representatives; | ||
(3) one person appointed by the lieutenant governor; | ||
(4) one person from each of the 10 most populous | ||
counties in this state, nominated by the county's respective county | ||
judge; | ||
(5) seven members from business, faith, and nonprofit | ||
community-based organizations, appointed by the governor, to | ||
represent the demographic, economic, and linguistic diversity of | ||
this state; | ||
(6) five members appointed by the secretary of state | ||
to represent traditionally hard-to-count populations, three of | ||
whom must be from counties located on the Texas-Mexico border; | ||
(7) if a local government has created a local complete | ||
count commission, members designated by the local commission; and | ||
(8) the secretary of state, who serves as the chair of | ||
the commission. | ||
(b) A member serves at the pleasure of the member's | ||
appointing official and vacancies shall be filled in the same | ||
manner as the initial appointment. The commission shall meet not | ||
later than the 30th day after the date initial appointments are made | ||
under Subsections (a)(1)-(6) of this section. The commission shall | ||
meet regularly as necessary at the call of the chair. | ||
(c) A member may not receive compensation for service on the | ||
commission, but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and | ||
necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties. The | ||
commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations to pay for those | ||
expenses. | ||
(d) The commission may employ a director and assistant | ||
director on a two-thirds vote of the full membership of the | ||
commission. The director and assistant director may be compensated | ||
from money appropriated or available for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. CENSUS OUTREACH STRATEGY. (a) The commission | ||
shall develop, recommend, and assist in the administration of a | ||
census outreach strategy to encourage full participation in the | ||
2020 federal decennial census of population required by 13 U.S.C. | ||
Section 141. | ||
(b) The census outreach strategy must include: | ||
(1) state agency initiatives to encourage | ||
participation in the 2020 federal decennial census; | ||
(2) the establishment and support of school-based | ||
outreach programs; | ||
(3) partnerships with nonprofit community-based | ||
organizations; and | ||
(4) a multilingual, multimedia campaign designed to | ||
ensure an accurate and complete count of this state's population. | ||
(c) To assist in carrying out its duties, the commission may | ||
create and appoint subcommittees as appropriate and shall solicit | ||
participation from relevant experts and practitioners involved in | ||
census issues. | ||
(d) The secretary of state shall: | ||
(1) coordinate the census outreach strategy; | ||
(2) provide administrative support to the commission; | ||
and | ||
(3) coordinate with all state agencies and | ||
constitutional officers, as well as local governments, to identify | ||
effective methods of outreach to residents of this state and to | ||
provide resources to ensure the outreach program is successful and | ||
that all residents of this state are counted. | ||
(e) A state agency shall inform the secretary of state of | ||
the agency's designated census coordinator and cooperate with and | ||
provide support to the commission. Other state governmental | ||
entities and local governments shall cooperate and provide all | ||
reasonable assistance to the commission. | ||
(f) Not later than December 31, 2019, the commission shall | ||
submit a written report to the governor, lieutenant governor, | ||
speaker of the house of representatives, and members of the | ||
legislature with its recommendations and findings, including a | ||
recommended outreach strategy for implementation for the 2020 | ||
federal decennial census. | ||
SECTION 5. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Using available funds or | ||
private donations, the governor shall establish and administer a | ||
grant program to award grants to local governments for their | ||
outreach efforts to encourage full participation in the 2020 | ||
federal decennial census of population required by 13 U.S.C. | ||
Section 141. | ||
(b) The governor shall adopt rules to implement and | ||
administer the grant program created under this section, including | ||
rules regarding applications by and eligibility of local | ||
governments for grants under the program. Eligibility rules must | ||
prioritize a local government that has: | ||
(1) established census outreach efforts; and | ||
(2) census tracts with traditionally hard-to-count | ||
populations within its boundaries. | ||
(c) The governor may accept gifts, grants, and donations for | ||
the grant program created under this section. | ||
SECTION 6. INITIAL APPOINTMENTS. As soon as practicable | ||
after the effective date of this Act, the appointing officials | ||
shall appoint members to the commission as provided by Section 3(a) | ||
of this Act. | ||
SECTION 7. ABOLISHMENT AND EXPIRATION. The commission and | ||
the grant program created under this Act are abolished and this Act | ||
expires on September 1, 2021. | ||
SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2019. |