Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1408 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Lucio, et al. S.B. No. 1408
2		-	(King of Uvalde)
	1	+	S.B. No. 1408
3	2
4	3
5		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	4		AN ACT
7	5		relating to the establishment of a matching grant program for
8	6		community development in certain municipalities and counties.
9	7		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	8		SECTION 1. Title 2, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
11	9		Chapter 23 to read as follows:
12	10		CHAPTER 23. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR RURAL
13	11		AND SMALL COMMUNITIES
14	12		Sec. 23.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "program" means
15	13		the community development matching grant program established under
16	14		this chapter.
17	15		Sec. 23.002. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM.
18	16		(a) Subject to the availability of federal and state funds, the
19	17		department shall create a community development matching grant
20	18		program to foster community and economic development in certain
21	19		municipalities and counties.
22	20		(b) The department shall award matching grants under the
23	21		program to assist in the financing of:
24	22		(1) trade-related initiatives and programs, as
25	23		determined by the commissioner, that will assist farmers, ranchers,
26	24		and the equine industry in eligible municipalities or counties to
27	25		develop and export their produce, products, and services to
28	26		international markets;
29	27		(2) community development projects, including basic
30	28		infrastructure projects such as water or wastewater facilities and
31	29		planning, street improvements, and drainage;
32	30		(3) capacity-building projects relating to local
33	31		public facility and housing planning activities;
34	32		(4) renewable energy projects to help participating
35	33		rural communities reduce energy costs for water and wastewater
36	34		treatment facilities;
37	35		(5) restoration projects for water or wastewater
38	36		infrastructure based on urgent need, if the infrastructure poses an
39	37		imminent threat to life or health;
40	38		(6) economic development projects to create or retain
41	39		permanent employment opportunities;
42	40		(7) economic development projects to support economic
43	41		and management development activities at the county level;
44	42		(8) environmental projects that provide assistance to
45	43		small communities for solving water or wastewater problems using
46	44		self-help methods; and
47	45		(9) other community development projects as
48	46		determined by the department with the assistance of the Texas Rural
49	47		Health and Economic Development Advisory Council.
50	48		Sec. 23.003. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES. A municipality or county
51	49		is eligible for a matching grant under this chapter if the
52	50		municipality or county is:
53	51		(1) a nonentitlement area, as defined by 42 U.S.C.
54	52		Section 5302(a)(7), under the federal community development block
55	53		grant nonentitlement program; and
56	54		(2) in good standing with the department and with the
57	55		United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
58	56		Sec. 23.004. APPLICATIONS. Eligible municipalities or
59	57		counties may submit a single-jurisdiction application or a
60	58		multi-jurisdiction application for a matching grant under the
61	59		program for a community development project. An application must
62	60		include a description of the project proposal.
63	61		Sec. 23.005. PREFERENCE FOR MULTI-JURISDICTION
64	62		APPLICATIONS. (a) In awarding a matching grant under the program,
65	63		the department shall give preference to an application submitted
66	64		under the program by two or more eligible municipalities or
67	65		counties if the application shows that the proposed community
68	66		development project will mutually benefit the residents of the
69	67		communities applying for the funds.
70	68		(b) A multi-jurisdiction application solely for
71	69		administrative convenience may not be accepted by the department.
72	70		(c) A municipality or county that has submitted a
73	71		multi-jurisdiction application may not submit a
74	72		single-jurisdiction application for a matching grant for the same
75	73		project for which the multi-jurisdiction application was
76	74		submitted.
77	75		(d) If a matching grant is awarded under this program, one
78	76		of the municipalities or counties participating under a
79	77		multi-jurisdiction application shall be primarily accountable to
80	78		the department for financial compliance and performance
81	79		requirements under the program. All municipalities and counties
82	80		applying under a multi-jurisdiction application must meet
83	81		application threshold requirements.
84	82		Sec. 23.006. RULES. (a) The department by rule shall set
85	83		criteria for matching grant requirements and participation under
86	84		the program.
87	85		(b) The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement
88	86		this chapter.
89	87		Sec. 23.007. EXPIRATION PROVISION. This chapter expires
90	88		September 1, 2021.
91	89		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
92	90		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
93	91		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
94	92		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
95	93		Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
	94	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	95	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	96	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1408 passed the Senate on
	97	+	May 13, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.
	98	+	______________________________
	99	+	Secretary of the Senate
	100	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1408 passed the House on
	101	+	May 26, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 99, Nays 43, two
	102	+	present not voting.
	103	+	______________________________
	104	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	105	+	Approved:
	106	+	______________________________
	107	+	Date
	108	+	______________________________
	109	+	Governor