| 1 | 1 | | 81R4608 ACP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rodriguez H.B. No. 2629 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to incentives in the low income housing tax credit program |
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| 8 | 8 | | to reward applicants who agree to use energy-saving devices and |
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| 9 | 9 | | energy conservation measures in a project. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 2306.6725, Government Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 12 | | by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b-1) Regardless of whether the applicants satisfy any |
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| 14 | 14 | | other conditions provided by Subsection (b), the department shall |
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| 15 | 15 | | provide appropriate incentives as determined through the qualified |
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| 16 | 16 | | allocation plan to reward applicants who agree to equip the |
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| 17 | 17 | | property that is the basis of the application with energy-saving |
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| 18 | 18 | | devices that meet the standards established by the state energy |
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| 19 | 19 | | conservation office or with other energy conservation measures |
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| 20 | 20 | | specified by the department in the plan. Energy conservation |
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| 21 | 21 | | measures specified by the department may include: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the installation of plumbing fixtures that |
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| 23 | 23 | | conserve water; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) the installation of solar water heaters; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) the use of trees or other landscaping; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (4) the installation of rainwater harvesting |
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| 27 | 27 | | equipment; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (5) the installation of Energy Star-labeled windows |
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| 29 | 29 | | and glass doors; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (6) the use of construction waste management at the |
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| 31 | 31 | | project site. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 33 | 33 | | an application for low income housing tax credits that is submitted |
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| 34 | 34 | | to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs during an |
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| 35 | 35 | | application cycle that begins on or after the effective date of this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act. An application that is submitted during an application cycle |
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| 37 | 37 | | that began before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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| 38 | 38 | | law in effect at the time the application cycle began, and the |
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| 39 | 39 | | former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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