Norma Chavez

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Norma Chavez (born 29 June 1960) is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 76 covering Ysleta and parts of El Paso in El Paso County.

Chavez is seeking reelection in 2006 and faced challenger Martha "Marty" Reyes, an Ysleta Independent School District trustee, in the Democratic primary on March 7, 2006. Chavez easily won the Democratic primary election with seventy percent of the votes cast. As of March 7, 2006, there are no other candidates for the position, so Chavez will most likely serve as the District 76 representative in the Eightieth Texas Legislature.

1 Legislative History
2 Legislative Accomplishments for the 79th Legislative Session (2005):
3 Fighting for Voter Rights in the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 Board Member Elections
4 References

[edit] Legislative History

State Representative Norma Chávez (D-El Paso), Chair of the House Committee on Border and International Affairs, has personally authored 37 bills which the Legislature subsequently passed in the five legislative sessions she has served district 76. In addition, since 1997 Chávez has been a Joint Author on 54 pieces of passing legislation, and a Co-Author on 47 passing bills. Chair Chávez has been the House sponsor for 16 successful Senate-authored bills and she has been a Joint or Co-Sponsor on 19 successful Senate-authored pieces of Legislation. Chávez has also authored 69 amendments which were adopted, and she has passed more than 500 congratulatory, memorial, and recognition resolutions in her 9 years of service to the citizens of El Paso.

Chávez passed 17 bills and amendments this past legislative session, making the 79th her most successful session so far. These bills and amendments will directly benefit the City of El Paso, El Paso County, the border region and the entire state.

[edit] Legislative Accomplishments for the 79th Legislative Session (2005):

City of El Paso Legislative Recommendations Passed:

HB 1107 Reduces the number of staff needed by local governments when requesting adjustments to the required match for federally funded transportation projects and the time that the Texas Department of Transportation spends reviewing requests.

HB 1562 Allows the City of El Paso to enter into interlocal contracts with the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Indian Tribe).

HB 1659 Expands the current Enterprise Zone program by designating entire economically distressed counties as State Enterprise Zones.

El Paso County Legislative Recommendation Passed:

HB 2531 Amended SB 1189 to allow a district judge or a judge of a statutory county court in El Paso County to serve as the local administrative judge for the council of judges.

El Paso County Hospital District Legislative Recommendation Passed:

HB 1924 Allows El Paso hospital district's Thomason Hospital to hire physicians as a Federally Qualified Health Center so the physicians have protection under the Federal Tort Claims Act. FQHCs receive federal grants and cost-based reimbursement under Medicaid and Medicare in addition to preventative care costs usually not covered.

Yselta del Sur Pueblo Legislative Recommendation Passed:

HB 3333 Allows the Yselta del Sur Pueblo to purchase La Loma del Espejo, a tract of land adjunct to the reservation of significant spiritual importance, from the Texas Department of Transportation.

Border Legislation Passed:

HB 925 Places in statute the ad hoc agency border work group meetings currently coordinated by the Secretary of State. Creates the Border Community Advisory Committee under the Department of Public Safety to provide insight and recommendations to the DPS to improve the flow of trade and border crossings. Establishes the Texas-Mexico Strategic Investment Commission to encourage collaboration with our neighboring Mexican States to discuss health care, water, environmental issues and economic development and trade. And, determinant upon the availability of funds, gives the Border Commerce Coordinator additional duties.

HB 1099 Transfers migrant labor housing inspections from the Texas Department of State Health Services to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). This bill was necessary due to budget cuts under HB 2292 from last session which hampered inspection of subsidized and nonsubsidized migrant farm worker housing around the state. TDHCA conducting the inspections will help improve the living conditions of migrant farm workers in the state.

HB 2420 Addresses the physician shortage along the border by creating a priority reimbursement formula for graduate medical education in the region. Acknowledges the importance of residency training location as a key determinant in a physician's chosen practice location

HB 3426 Establishes a binational alcohol and substance abuse task force consisting of elected officials, law enforcement, medical professionals, state agencies, and citizens to develop recommendations addressing alcohol and substance abuse issues along the border.

HCR 13 Concurrent resolution requesting Congress to allow Mexican national visitors to the U.S. the same six-month length of stay afforded to Canadian visitors. Statewide Legislation Passed

HB 611 Protects a recording artist's product and proceeds from the claims of the (SB 846) record companies' and distributors' creditors.

HB 900 Requires local workforce development boards to incorporate financial literacy into training programs. Greater financial knowledge should improve credit scores and reduce consumer's reliance on high-cost subprime residential loans. (Currently, Texas has the lowest average credit score in the country.)

HB 1331 Allows community colleges to participate in interagency agreements with state agencies to improve operational efficiency of local workforce training programs. This bill was a recommendation of the Texas Border Infrastructure Coalition.

HB 1582 Requires the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, in cooperation with Texas Savings and Loan Department, to conduct a thorough study to determine the causes for the state's high residential foreclosure rate and asses the use of subprime lending practices. The study will make recommendations about these issues to the 80th Legislature.

HB 2421 Increases funding for the highly successful Skills Development program over the next biennium by 60%, providing $40 million for worker training and bolsters the Texas Enterprise Fund, which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to communities throughout the state to assist in the recruitment of new jobs and businesses. Both of these programs are critical to the economic development of Texas.

HB 3384 Allows community colleges and workforce development boards to use more efficient interlocal contracts with local governments. Expected to mainly be used for workforce training programs.

[edit] Fighting for Voter Rights in the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 Board Member Elections

State Representative Norma Chávez also led the fight to stop HB 2012 and SB 547 that would have disenfranchised 70,000 El Paso voters by prohibiting them from voting in the El Paso Water Improvement District Board elections if they are not land owners with water rights, and would have required voters to re-register at the Water Improvement District before being eligible to vote in the elections. SB 547 died in the House Committee on Calendars. All eligible voters living within the district are still eligible to vote in the water board elections.