Bill Text: TX SB1928 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to ensuring local governmental and community input in any federal refugee resettlement program established in this state.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-19 - Effective immediately [SB1928 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1928-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 1928 | ||
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| relating to ensuring local governmental and community input in any | ||
| federal refugee resettlement program established in this state. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 531.0411 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 531.0411. RULES REGARDING REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT. | ||
| (a) In this section, "local resettlement agency" and "national | ||
| voluntary agency" have the meanings assigned by 45 C.F.R. Section | ||
| 400.2. | ||
| (b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to ensure | ||
| that local governmental and community input is included in any | ||
| refugee placement report required under a federal refugee | ||
| resettlement program and that governmental entities and officials | ||
| are provided with related information. In adopting rules under | ||
| this section, the executive commissioner shall, to the extent | ||
| permitted under federal law, ensure that: | ||
| (1) meetings are convened, at least quarterly, in the | ||
| communities proposed for refugee placement at which | ||
| representatives of local resettlement agencies have an opportunity | ||
| to consult with and obtain feedback from local governmental | ||
| entities and officials, including municipal and county officials, | ||
| local school district officials, and representatives of local law | ||
| enforcement agencies, and from other community stakeholders, | ||
| including major providers under the local health care system and | ||
| major employers of refugees, regarding proposed refugee placement; | ||
| (2) a local resettlement agency: | ||
| (A) considers all feedback obtained in meetings | ||
| conducted under Subdivision (1) before preparing a proposed annual | ||
| report on the placement of refugees for purposes of 8 U.S.C. Section | ||
| 1522(b)(7)(E); | ||
| (B) informs the state and local governmental | ||
| entities and officials and community stakeholders described under | ||
| Subdivision (1) of the proposed annual report; and | ||
| (C) develops a final annual report for the | ||
| national voluntary agencies and the commission that includes a | ||
| summary regarding how stakeholder input contributed to the report; | ||
| and | ||
| (3) the commission: | ||
| (A) obtains from local resettlement agencies the | ||
| preliminary number of refugees the local resettlement agencies | ||
| recommended to the national voluntary agencies for placement in | ||
| communities throughout this state and provides that information to | ||
| local governmental entities and officials in those communities; and | ||
| (B) obtains from the United States Department of | ||
| State or other appropriate federal agency the number of refugees | ||
| apportioned to this state and provides that information and | ||
| information regarding the number of refugees intended to be placed | ||
| in each community in this state to local governmental entities and | ||
| officials in those communities. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2016, the executive | ||
| commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall | ||
| adopt the rules required under Section 531.0411, 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, 2015. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1928 passed the Senate on | ||
| May 5, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that the | ||
| Senate concurred in House amendment on May 30, 2015, by the | ||
| following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1928 passed the House, with | ||
| amendment, on May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 143, | ||
| Nays 1, two present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
