Bill Text: TX SB1745 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of a joint interim committee to study colonias and colonia initiatives in this state.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-24 - Referred to House Administration [SB1745 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1745-Engrossed.html
| By: Zaffirini, Hinojosa | S.B. No. 1745 | |
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| relating to the creation of a joint interim committee to study | ||
| colonias and colonia initiatives in this state. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. INTERIM COMMITTEE; STUDY. (a) In this section, | ||
| "colonia" has the meaning assigned by Section 2306.581, Government | ||
| Code. | ||
| (b) A joint interim committee is established to study | ||
| colonias and colonia initiatives in this state. | ||
| (c) The joint interim committee is composed of the members | ||
| of the standing committees of the legislature with primary | ||
| jurisdiction over colonias and colonia issues. The committee | ||
| members shall select a presiding officer from among the membership. | ||
| (d) In conducting the study under this section, the joint | ||
| interim committee shall: | ||
| (1) determine the best methods for updating and | ||
| maintaining colonia identification systems and for identifying and | ||
| classifying colonias in which the highest public health risks | ||
| exist; | ||
| (2) consider whether colonias should be defined | ||
| uniformly across all relevant state agencies and whether that | ||
| definition should include essential metrics such as: | ||
| (A) economic mobility levels; | ||
| (B) poverty levels; | ||
| (C) mortality rates; | ||
| (D) health professional shortage area scores; | ||
| and | ||
| (E) the average level of education attained by | ||
| colonia residents; | ||
| (3) to address the enduring lack of services and | ||
| infrastructure in colonias, assess best practices and funding needs | ||
| for surveying the services and infrastructure available in, and | ||
| demographics of, each colonia; | ||
| (4) assess the status of state agency tracking and | ||
| reporting of state-funded colonia projects and whether | ||
| improvements to the tracking or reporting mechanisms are necessary; | ||
| (5) determine and assess any non-infrastructure needs | ||
| within colonias and options for this state to address those needs; | ||
| and | ||
| (6) assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on | ||
| colonias and whether additional state services are necessary to | ||
| address those impacts. | ||
| (e) The joint interim committee has all other powers and | ||
| duties provided to a special or select committee by the rules of the | ||
| senate and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, | ||
| Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees | ||
| on administration. | ||
| (f) Not later than September 1, 2022, the joint interim | ||
| committee shall prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant | ||
| governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the | ||
| legislature a written report that includes the findings of the | ||
| committee under this section, including any legislative | ||
| recommendations. | ||
| SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The joint interim | ||
| committee established by Section 1 of this Act is abolished and this | ||
| Act expires November 1, 2022. | ||
| SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September | ||
| 1, 2021. | ||
