HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE, FEDERAL, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INTERIM REPORT 2002 A REPORT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 78TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE BOB HUNTER CHAIRMAN CHIEF COMMITTEE CLERK KEVIN CHRISTIAN 1 Committee On State, Federal, and International Relations January 17, 2003 Bob Hunter P.O. Box 2910 Chairman Austin, Texas 78768-2910 The Honorable James E. "Pete" Laney Speaker, Texas House of Representatives Members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas State Capitol, Rm. 2W.13 Austin, Texas 78701 Dear Mr. Speaker and Fellow Members: The Committee on State, Federal, and International Relations of the Seventy-Seventh Legislature hereby submits its interim report including recommendations and drafted legislation for consideration by the Seventy-Eighth Legislature. Respectfully submitted, Bob Hunter, Chairman Paul Moreno, Vice-Chairman Leo Berman Norma Chavez Gary Elkins Jerry Madden Sid Miller Manny Najera Richard Raymond Paul Moreno Vice-Chairman Members: Leo Berman, Norma Chavez, Gary Elkins, Jerry Madden, Sid Miller, Manny Najera, Richard Raymond TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .............................................................9 INTERIM STUDY CHARGES ..................................................10 CHARGE 1: DEVELOPING A MILITARY PARTNERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE........11 SPEAKER’S CHARGE............................................12 BACKGROUND .................................................12 DEFENSE BUSINESS ............................................12 PAST BRAC ROUNDS ...........................................13 STATE’S ACTIVITY.............................................14 INTERSTATE COMPETITION.....................................14 Georgia...................................................14 Florida ...................................................15 California.................................................15 Arizona...................................................15 Virginia ..................................................16 CHANGES IN THE BRAC PROCESS ................................16 Military Value .............................................16 CUTTING COSTS................................................17 ELECTRIC COSTS SAVINGS OPTIONS FOR THE MILITARY ..........17 Investor-owned Utilities (IOUs) Inside ERCOT...................17 Opportunities for Bases Inside ERCOT..........................17 Investor-owned Utilities Outside ERCOT........................18 Opportunities for Bases Outside ERCOT ........................18 Municipally-owned Utilities and Electric Cooperatives .............18 TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS .....18 RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................18 CHARGE 2: RURAL TOURISM ...............................................22 SPEAKER’S CHARGE............................................23 BACKGROUND .................................................23 CURRENT STATE OF RURAL TOURISM IN TEXAS..................23 Texas Department of Economic Development ....................23 Texas Historical Commission .................................24 OTHER EXISTING STATE PROGRAMS ............................25 Historic Courthouse Preservation Program .......................25 Historic One-Room Schoolhouses ..............................25 World Birding Center .......................................25 Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail..............................26 RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................26 CHARGE 3: BORDER CROSSING TRAFFIC.....................................27 SPEAKER’S CHARGE............................................28 BACKGROUND .................................................28 3 POST-NAFTA TRADE: OUR NEEDS HAVE CHANGED ...............28 Grinding to a Halt ..........................................28 Mexican Truck Traffic.......................................29 The President’s Push for Change...............................29 Congress Steps In ...........................................30 LEGAL ISSUES ARISING FROM AN OPEN BORDER WITH MEXICO...30 Jurisdiction and Venue.......................................31 Enforcement of Foreign Judgments .............................32 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE...................................32 MAJOR STATE AGENCY INVOLVEMENT ..........................33 Department of Public Safety ..................................33 Texas Department of Transportation............................34 Border Safety Inspection Facilities .............................35 “AT” VS. “AWAY” FROM THE BRIDGE............................36 “Away” from the Bridge .....................................36 “At” the Bridge ............................................37 RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................38 CHARGE 4: MUSEUM OF TEXAS MUSIC AND MUSIC HISTORY .................41 SPEAKER’S CHARGE............................................42 BACKGROUND .................................................42 TEXAS MUSIC..................................................42 ANALYSIS .....................................................43 THE NEED FOR A CENTRALIZED EFFORT.........................44 Impediments to Existing Private Preservation Efforts...............44 Texas State Library .........................................44 Texas Commision on the Arts.................................44 Governor’s Texas Music Office ...............................45 CURRENT EFFORTS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY ....................45 Simply Solutions ...........................................45 Hands-on Experiential Learning Project (HELP) ..................46 Governor’s Texas Music Office Website ........................46 RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................47 CHARGE 5: TEXAS LEGISLATIVE MEDAL OF HONOR ..........................49 SPEAKER’S CHARGE............................................50 BACKGROUND .................................................50 STATUTORY AUTHORITY.......................................50 Recent Legislation in Relation to TLMH ........................50 PAST RECIPIENTS OF THE TLMH.................................51 OTHER STATE MILITARY AWARDS ..............................51 Lone Star Medal of Honor ....................................51 Lone Star Distinguished Service Medal .........................51 Other Awards..............................................51 RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................52 4 CHARGE 6: OVERSIGHT JURISDICTION ......................................54 SPEAKER’S CHARGE............................................55 BACKGROUND .................................................55 OFFICE OF STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS.........................55 TEXAS STRATEGIC MILITARY PLANNING COMMISSION ...........57 TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD ......................................57 Mobilizations Unrelated to Terrorist Attacks .....................58 Mobilizations since September 11, 2001 .........................58 Current Mobilization Report..................................59 State and Community Service.................................59 TEXAS MILITARY FACILITIES COMMISSION......................60 Current Commission Members ................................60 Organizational Aspects, Operations, and Surveys..................61 Legislative Proposals and Recommendations .....................61 Fiscal Aspects .............................................62 Audits and Findings.........................................63 TEXAS VETERANS COMMISSION ................................64 Highlights of Operations during FY 2002 ........................64 VETERANS’S HOMES ...........................................65 Establishing New Homes.....................................65 VETERANS STATE CEMETERY SYSTEM ..........................66 TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION...............................66 Significant New Initiatives ...................................67 TEXAS STATE CEMETERY COMMITTEE ..........................69 150th Anniversary ..........................................69 Family Room..............................................69 Cemetery Annex ...........................................70 Funerals..................................................70 September 11th Memorial....................................70 Praha - World War II Memorial................................70 Tours ....................................................70 TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS..............................70 Arts Education Initiative .....................................71 State of the Arts License Plate.................................71 TCA and Technology ........................................72 FY 2002-03 Grant Overview ..................................72 Texas Cultural Endowment Fund ..............................73 Young Masters Program .....................................73 Texas State Artists, Poet Laureate, and Musician..................74 Simply Solutions ...........................................74 Hands-on Experiential Learning Project (HELP) ..................74 Bi-national Exchange........................................75 Donor Recognition Project ...................................75 Stabilization and Continuity Plan ..............................76 FY 2004-05 LAR .................................................76 TEXAS STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES COMMISSION ............76 5 New Program: Loan Star Libraries .............................77 Gubenatorial Records .......................................77 TexShare and Library of Texas................................78 Talking Book Program .......................................78