Highlights of the 79th Texas Legislature - Senate

BORDER AFFAIRS AND IMMIGRATION
TxDOT and Mexico Meeting on Transportation and Inspection Issues—S.B. 569
By Senator Zaffirini et al.—House Sponsors: Representatives Guillen and Chavez
The 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, directed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to initiate
efforts to meet at least semiannually with TxDOT's counterparts in Mexican border states to discuss transportation
and infrastructure issues. This bill:
Requires TxDOT to initiate such meetings with its counterparts in Mexican border states at least quarterly and, in
conjunction with the border commerce coordinator, to submit plans to the legislature recommending ways to expedite
trade by mitigating delays in border crossing inspections.
Long-range Plan for South Texas Health Care—S.B. 815
By Senator Lucio—House Sponsor: Representative Solis
During the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, S.B. 1615 was enacted to allow Cameron and Hidalgo counties
to pool resources to jointly establish a health services district for the purpose of improving indigent health services.
To date, neither site has become functional. This bill:
Requires the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to contract for the construction of at least one new
physical facility for outpatient health care services, including outpatient tuberculosis, out of funds appropriated for
that purpose.
Authorizes one facility to be located in Hidalgo County and another facility to be located in Cameron County.
Deletes existing text relating to specific guidelines for the facility.
Requires that all outpatient health care services, including outpatient tuberculosis services, provided by the South
Texas Health Care System be transferred to that facility or facilities upon completion of the physical facility or
facilities.
Requires DSHS, if it does not use the current physical facilities of the South Texas Health Care System (system)
upon completion of the physical facility or facilities required by this Act, to give the Department of Aging and Disability
Services (DADS) the first option to lease the current physical facilities of the system on completion of construction of
the physical facility or facilities for outpatient health care services, and after contracting providers or entities of this
Act, have begun providing inpatient health care and related laboratory services.
Requires DSHS, if DADS does not lease the facilities, to study and prepare leasing and other options for potential
future uses of the facilities.
Identifying Colonias and Tracking State-Funded Projects—S.B. 827
By Senators Zaffirini and Ellis—House Sponsor: Representative Guillen
Currently, state agencies collect pertinent information concerning colonias, but there is no statewide classification
system reporting the progress of state-funded projects in colonia areas. This bill:
Requires the secretary of state to establish and maintain a classification system to track the progress of state-funded
projects in colonia areas and submit a report to the legislature on the progress of the projects.
16 HIGHLIGHTS - 79 TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE