HBA-TBM, NRS C.S.S.B. 1837 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 1837 By: Shapleigh Appropriations 5/17/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas-Mexico border region has the highest poverty and unemployment rates in the country, and the lowest per capita income in the country. Creating investment initiatives to spur economic development in the Texas-Mexico border region will allow the region to share in the economic prosperity of the state. C.S.S.B. 1837 establishes the Texas Border Strategic Investment Commission to bring a statewide perspective to strategic Texas-Mexico border region investments. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 1837 amends the Government Code to set forth the establishment and composition of the Texas Border Strategic Investment Commission (commission). The commission is composed of the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the comptroller of public accounts, the commissioner of agriculture, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and the secretary of state. The bill requires the lieutenant governor to serve as chair of the commission. Prior to each regular legislative session, the bill requires the commission to identify and recommend funding for strategic economic development initiatives in the six metropolitan statistical areas in the Texas-Mexico border region. The bill requires the strategic investment initiatives recommended to be identified using certain criteria and provides that the commission must make a recommendation for funding on or before December 1 of each even-numbered year. Not later than December 1 of each evennumbered year, the bill requires the commission to file a report with the legislature that states the strategic investment initiatives recommended by the commission during the preceding two-year period, and identify the initiatives that received funding during the preceding fiscal year biennium. The report must include any recommendations for legislative action the commission considers appropriate. For those recommended initiatives that received funding from the commission during the biennium in which the report is made, the bill requires the commission to evaluate specified performance measures in the report. The bill authorizes the commission to request state agencies to apply for funds from the federal government or any other public or private entity and to solicit grants, gifts, and donations from private sources on the state's behalf. The bill requires the commission to review and may require reports of state agencies which receive appropriations, gifts, grants, funds, or endowments as a result of the commission's recommendations. The bill also authorizes the commission to study counties classified by the federal government as "persistent poverty counties" to determine strategic development needs and opportunities. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.S.B. 1837 differs from the original by adding the chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee to the members of the Texas Border Strategic Investment Commission (commission). The substitute requires the commission to identify and recommend funding rather than meet, identify, and direct funding prior to rather than after each legislative session. The substitute provides that the commission must make a recommendation for funding rather than identify initiatives for funding on or before December 1 of each even-numbered year rather than each odd-numbered year. Rather than authorizing the commission to apply for and accept funds, the substitute authorizes the commission to request state agencies to apply for funds. The substitute authorizes the commission to solicit money from private sources on the state's behalf rather than the commission's behalf. The substitute removes language relating to the administration and approval of disbursements. The substitute requires the commission to review and may require reports of state agencies which receive money as a result of the commission's recommendations. The substitute also authorizes the commission to study counties classified by the federal government as "persistent poverty counties." The substitute removes provisions relating to the appropriation of $250,000,000 from the economic stabilization fund.