By: Strama H.B. No. 2866
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to encouraging technology-related economic development
projects that pay competitive compensation for associated
workforce.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 313.021, Tax Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (3) to read as follows:
(3) "Qualifying job" means a permanent full-time job
that:
(A) requires at least 1,600 hours of work a year;
(B) is not transferred from one area in this
state to another area in this state;
(C) is not created to replace a previous
employee;
(D) is covered by a group health benefit plan, as
defined by Section 481.151, Government Code, for which the business
offers to pay at least 80 percent of the premiums or other charges
assessed for employee-only coverage under the plan, regardless of
whether an employee may voluntarily waive the coverage; and
(E) pays the lesser of an average annual wage of
$50,000 or at least 110 percent of the county average weekly wage
for manufacturing jobs in the county where the job is located.
SECTION 2. Section 313.021, Tax Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (5) to read as follows:
(5) "County average weekly wage for manufacturing
jobs" means the average weekly wage in a county for manufacturing
jobs as computed by the Texas Workforce Commission.
SECTION 3. Section 313.024, Tax Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) to read as follows:
(b) To be eligible for a limitation on appraised value under
this subchapter, the entity must use the property in connection
with:
(1) manufacturing;
(2) research and development;
(3) a clean coal project, as defined by Section 5.001,
Water Code;
(4) an advanced clean energy project, as defined by
Section 382.003, Health and Safety Code;
(5) renewable energy electric generation;
(6) electric power generation using integrated
gasification combined cycle technology; [or]
(7) nuclear electric power generation[.];
(8) computer operations facilities; or
(9) regional, national, or global corporation
headquarter operations.
SECTION 4. Section 313.024, Tax Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(5) "Computer operations facilities" means locations
engaged in computational processing and information storage.
(6) "Headquarter" means a location that serves as the
regional, national, or global administrative center of the business
and at which are located the offices of the management officials
responsible for key business-wide functions, including finance,
legal marketing, and human resource functions.
SECTION 5. Section 313.029, Tax Code, is repealed.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.