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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a task force to conduct a |
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comprehensive study on flood control infrastructure for Harris and |
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Galveston Counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the |
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task force on flood control infrastructure established under this |
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section. |
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(b) The task force is established to conduct a comprehensive |
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flood control infrastructure study for Harris and Galveston |
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Counties. The study must: |
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(1) assess the existing infrastructure in Harris and |
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Galveston Counties with respect to flood control; and |
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(2) identify infrastructure improvements necessary to |
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mitigate flooding in those counties. |
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(c) The task force is composed of 12 members as follows: |
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(1) one person appointed by the governor; |
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(2) one person appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
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(3) one person appointed by the speaker of the house of |
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representatives; |
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(4) two representatives of the University of Houston's |
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Hobby School of Public Affairs or Cullen College of Engineering, |
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one of whom is appointed by the author of this Act and one of whom is |
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appointed by the sponsor of this Act; |
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(5) two representatives of Texas Southern University's |
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Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs or Department |
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of Transportation Studies, one of whom is appointed by the author of |
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this Act and one of whom is appointed by the sponsor of this Act; |
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(6) one representative of the mayor of the City of |
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Houston, appointed by the mayor; |
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(7) one representative of the Harris County |
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Commissioners Court, appointed by the commissioners court; |
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(8) one representative of the Galveston County |
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Commissioners Court, appointed by the commissioners court; |
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(9) one other person appointed by the author of this |
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Act; and |
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(10) one other person appointed by the sponsor of this |
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Act. |
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(d) One member appointed under Subsection (c)(4) of this |
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section serves as the presiding officer of the task force, and one |
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member appointed under Subsection (c)(5) of this section serves as |
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the assistant presiding officer. |
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(e) The Hobby School of Public Affairs and the Cullen |
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College of Engineering of the University of Houston shall provide |
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necessary staff and administrative support to the task force. |
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(f) The Harris County Flood Control District shall serve as |
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an advisor to the task force by reviewing task force work products |
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and providing data and other information necessary to conduct the |
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study. |
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(g) The task force shall prepare a report that includes: |
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(1) a description of the activities of the task force; |
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(2) the findings and recommendations of the task |
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force, including any proposed policy recommendations; and |
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(3) any proposals for legislation or other matters the |
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task force considers appropriate. |
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(h) Not later than December 1, 2018, the task force shall |
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submit the report prepared under this section to: |
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(1) the governor; |
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(2) the lieutenant governor; |
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(3) the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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(4) the presiding officers of the standing committees |
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of the senate and house of representatives having primary |
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jurisdiction over issues relating to flood control infrastructure. |
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(i) The task force is abolished and this Act expires January |
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1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. This Act does not make an appropriation. A |
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provision of this Act that imposes a new duty on a governmental |
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entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the |
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legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the |
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provision. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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