| 1 | 1 | | By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 598 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a pilot revolving loan program for retrofitting public |
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| 7 | 7 | | school buildings with photovoltaic solar panels and associated |
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| 8 | 8 | | energy efficiency improvements. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 2305, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 2305.0321 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 2305.0321. PILOT REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM FOR SOLAR |
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| 13 | 13 | | ENERGY FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS. (a) The energy office shall |
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| 14 | 14 | | establish a pilot program under the loanstar revolving loan program |
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| 15 | 15 | | to provide loans to pay the cost of installing photovoltaic solar |
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| 16 | 16 | | panels on public school buildings and the cost of associated energy |
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| 17 | 17 | | efficiency improvements to the buildings. The energy office shall |
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| 18 | 18 | | allocate to the pilot program at least $4 million from the funds |
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| 19 | 19 | | available to the loanstar revolving loan program. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The energy office by rule shall establish the terms |
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| 21 | 21 | | under which a loan may be made under the pilot program, including |
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| 22 | 22 | | the interest rate for repayment of pilot program loans. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) Through the pilot program, the energy office shall offer |
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| 24 | 24 | | to each school district the opportunity to apply for a loan to pay |
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| 25 | 25 | | the cost of installing photovoltaic solar panels on at least one |
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| 26 | 26 | | school building of the school district's choice and the cost of |
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| 27 | 27 | | associated energy efficiency improvements to that building. The |
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| 28 | 28 | | energy office by rule shall establish a procedure for determining |
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| 29 | 29 | | which school districts qualify for a loan under the pilot program, |
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| 30 | 30 | | including rules for selecting the school districts that will |
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| 31 | 31 | | receive a loan if there is not sufficient money set aside for pilot |
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| 32 | 32 | | program improvements at all school districts. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (d) Each school district that receives a loan shall pay for |
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| 34 | 34 | | the principal of and interest on the loan for each school building |
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| 35 | 35 | | improvement primarily from the amount budgeted for the energy costs |
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| 36 | 36 | | of the school at which the solar panels are installed. The school |
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| 37 | 37 | | district may make additional payments of the principal of or |
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| 38 | 38 | | interest on a loan from money rebated to it as compensation for |
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| 39 | 39 | | electric energy generated by the solar panels or money received as a |
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| 40 | 40 | | gift or grant for the purpose of paying the loan. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) This section expires September 1, 2011, and the pilot |
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| 42 | 42 | | program established under this section is dissolved on that date. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 44 | 44 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 45 | 45 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 47 | 47 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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