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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an interstate compact on border security, immigration |
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enforcement, and refugee resettlement. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 7, Government Code, is amended by adding |
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Chapter 793 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 793. INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION |
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ENFORCEMENT, AND REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT |
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Sec. 793.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "illegal alien" |
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means a person who: |
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(1) is not a citizen or national of the United States; |
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and |
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(2) is unlawfully present in the United States |
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according to the terms of 8 U.S.C. Section 1101 et seq. |
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Sec. 793.002. AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE INTERSTATE COMPACT. On |
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behalf of this state, the governor shall: |
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(1) coordinate, develop, and execute an interstate |
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compact for border security among interested states; and |
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(2) seek the approval of the United States Congress |
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for the compact. |
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Sec. 793.003. INTERSTATE COMPACT PROVISIONS. The compact |
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required by this chapter must provide for joint action among |
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compacting states on matters that include: |
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(1) the operational control of this state's border |
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with Mexico by the total detection and apprehension or deflection |
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of illegal aliens attempting to cross the border into this state; |
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(2) other enforcement of federal immigration laws, |
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including detecting, apprehending, detaining, prosecuting, |
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releasing, and monitoring of illegal aliens; |
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(3) notification from the federal government at least |
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30 days before the date refugees are resettled in a compacting |
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state, including access by a compacting state to vetting |
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information, security screening, in-person interviews, and health |
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assessments of refugees; |
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(4) establishment of a compacting state's right to |
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refuse a refugee offered by the federal government for resettlement |
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in the state; |
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(5) establishment of a refugee resettlement tracking |
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program among compacting states that: |
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(A) collects information on resettled refugees, |
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including the refugees' country of origin, historical and family |
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information, crime history, entry routes, fingerprints, and DNA |
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samples; and |
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(B) contains the information collected by |
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screening processes before refugees arrive in the compacting state; |
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(6) establishment of the compacting state's authority |
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to revoke refugee status for a refugee convicted of a felony and, |
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after the appropriate sentence is served, hold the former refugee |
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for immediate return to the former refugee's country of origin; |
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(7) establishment of a comprehensive assimilation |
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education program that tracks the assimilation of refugees in |
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accordance with United States laws, history, and culture; |
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(8) abolishment of the private agencies, operations, |
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and authorities in the compacting states performing refugee |
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resettlement functions and reapportionment of the federal contract |
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funds provided to those entities to the compacting states assuming |
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those functions; and |
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(9) establishment of standing for any legal action or |
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brief submitted to a federal court demanding injunctive relief from |
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federal executive orders that are not in the best interests of the |
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compacting states. |
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SECTION 2. 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. |