| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the governance of certain housing authorities. |
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| 8 | 6 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 7 | | SECTION 1. Section 392.031(b), Local Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 8 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 9 | | (b) A commissioner may not be an officer or employee of the |
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| 12 | 10 | | municipality. A commissioner may be: |
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| 13 | 11 | | (1) a tenant of a public project over which the housing |
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| 14 | 12 | | authority has jurisdiction; or |
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| 15 | 13 | | (2) a person who is a recipient of housing assistance |
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| 16 | 14 | | administered through the authority's housing choice voucher |
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| 17 | 15 | | program. |
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| 18 | 16 | | SECTION 2. Section 392.0331, Local Government Code, is |
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| 19 | 17 | | amended by amending Subsections (b), (g), and (h) and adding |
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| 20 | 18 | | Subsections (b-2) and (h-1) to read as follows: |
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| 21 | 19 | | (b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), in appointing |
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| 22 | 20 | | commissioners under Section 392.031, a municipality with a |
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| 23 | 21 | | municipal housing authority composed of five commissioners shall |
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| 24 | 22 | | appoint at least one commissioner to the authority who is a tenant |
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| 25 | 23 | | of a public housing project over which the authority has |
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| 26 | 24 | | jurisdiction. Except as provided by Subsection (b-2), in [In] |
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| 27 | 25 | | appointing commissioners under Section 392.031, a municipality |
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| 28 | 26 | | with a municipal housing authority composed of seven or more |
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| 29 | 27 | | commissioners shall appoint at least two commissioners to the |
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| 30 | 28 | | authority who are tenants of a public housing project over which the |
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| 31 | 29 | | authority has jurisdiction. |
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| 32 | 30 | | (b-2) In appointing commissioners under Section 392.031, a |
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| 33 | 31 | | municipality that has a population over two million and a municipal |
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| 34 | 32 | | housing authority composed of seven or more commissioners shall |
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| 35 | 33 | | appoint at least two commissioners to the authority who are: |
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| 36 | 34 | | (1) tenants of a public housing project over which the |
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| 37 | 35 | | authority has jurisdiction; or |
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| 38 | 36 | | (2) recipients of housing assistance administered |
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| 39 | 37 | | through the authority's housing choice voucher program. |
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| 40 | 38 | | (g) A commissioner appointed under this section may not |
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| 41 | 39 | | participate: |
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| 42 | 40 | | (1) in any vote or discussion concerning the |
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| 43 | 41 | | termination of: |
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| 44 | 42 | | (A) the commissioner's occupancy rights in |
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| 45 | 43 | | public housing; |
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| 46 | 44 | | (B) the commissioner's rights to housing |
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| 47 | 45 | | assistance administered through a housing choice voucher program; |
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| 48 | 46 | | or |
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| 49 | 47 | | (C) the rights of any person related in the first |
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| 50 | 48 | | degree by consanguinity to the commissioner with respect to the |
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| 51 | 49 | | person's occupancy rights in public housing or right to receive |
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| 52 | 50 | | housing assistance administered through a housing choice voucher |
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| 53 | 51 | | program; or |
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| 54 | 52 | | (2) in a grievance or administrative hearing in which |
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| 55 | 53 | | the commissioner or a person related in the first degree by |
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| 56 | 54 | | consanguinity to the commissioner is a party. |
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| 57 | 55 | | (h) If a commissioner appointed under this section as a |
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| 58 | 56 | | tenant of a public housing project ceases to reside in a housing |
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| 59 | 57 | | unit operated by the public housing authority during the |
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| 60 | 58 | | commissioner's term, a majority of the other commissioners shall |
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| 61 | 59 | | decide whether to request that a new commissioner be appointed. A |
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| 62 | 60 | | majority of the commissioners may decide to allow the commissioner |
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| 63 | 61 | | to serve the remaining portion of the commissioner's term. |
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| 64 | 62 | | (h-1) If a commissioner appointed under this section as a |
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| 65 | 63 | | recipient of housing assistance administered through the |
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| 66 | 64 | | authority's housing choice voucher program ceases to receive that |
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| 67 | 65 | | assistance, a majority of the other commissioners shall decide |
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| 68 | 66 | | whether to request that a new commissioner be appointed. A majority |
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| 69 | 67 | | of the commissioners may decide to allow the commissioner to serve |
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| 70 | 68 | | the remaining portion of the commissioner's term. |
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| 71 | 69 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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