TRADE AND COMMERCE PLAN

(a) The border commerce coordinator shall develop, in conjunction with representatives of chambers of commerce, metropolitan planning organizations adjacent to the United Mexican States, and private industry groups, and with the advice of the interagency work group established under Section 772.011, a comprehensive trade and commerce plan for the region designed to: (1) increase trade by attracting new business ventures; (2) support expansion of existing industries; and (3) address workforce training needs. (b) The plan must cover five-year, 10-year, and 15-year periods. (c) The coordinator shall work with industries and communities on both sides of the border to develop international industry cluster initiatives to capitalize on resources available in communities located adjacent to each other across the border. (d) The coordinator shall conduct annual conferences of interested persons, working with chambers of commerce and universities of this state along the Texas and Mexico border region, and shall host those conferences at no cost to the coordinator. The purposes of the conferences are to: (1) make the trade and commerce plan public; (2) report on updated findings and progress of implementation of the plan; and (3) develop new international industry cluster initiatives.