| 1 | 1 | | 86R5899 JAM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Watson S.B. No. 546 |
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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 the governance of public housing authorities. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 392.032(b), Local Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (b) A commissioner of the authority may not be an officer or |
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| 12 | 12 | | employee of the county. A commissioner may be: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) a tenant of a public project over which the housing |
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| 14 | 14 | | authority has jurisdiction; or |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) a recipient of housing assistance administered |
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| 16 | 16 | | through the authority's housing choice voucher program or |
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| 17 | 17 | | project-based rental assistance program. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Section 392.033(a), Local Government Code, is |
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| 19 | 19 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a) The commissioners court of each county in a regional |
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| 21 | 21 | | housing authority shall appoint a person to serve as a commissioner |
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| 22 | 22 | | of the authority. Subsequently, the commissioners court of each |
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| 23 | 23 | | county shall appoint successors to the commissioner of the |
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| 24 | 24 | | authority appointed by that commissioners court. An appointed |
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| 25 | 25 | | commissioner of the authority may not be an officer or employee of |
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| 26 | 26 | | the county. A commissioner may be: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) a tenant of a public project over which the housing |
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| 28 | 28 | | authority has jurisdiction; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) a recipient of housing assistance administered |
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| 30 | 30 | | through the authority's housing choice voucher program or |
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| 31 | 31 | | project-based rental assistance program. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 3. The heading to Section 392.0331, Local |
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| 33 | 33 | | Government Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 34 | 34 | | Sec. 392.0331. APPOINTMENT OF TENANT REPRESENTATIVE OR |
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| 35 | 35 | | CERTAIN OTHER RECIPIENTS OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE AS COMMISSIONER OF |
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| 36 | 36 | | MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, OR REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 4. Sections 392.0331(b), (b-1), (c), and (d), Local |
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| 38 | 38 | | Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) Except as provided by Subsection [Subsections] (b-1) |
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| 40 | 40 | | [and (b-2)], in appointing commissioners under Section 392.031, a |
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| 41 | 41 | | municipality with a municipal housing authority composed of five |
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| 42 | 42 | | commissioners shall appoint at least one commissioner to the |
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| 43 | 43 | | authority who is a tenant of a public housing project over which the |
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| 44 | 44 | | authority has jurisdiction or who is a recipient of housing |
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| 45 | 45 | | assistance administered through the authority's housing choice |
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| 46 | 46 | | voucher program or project-based rental assistance program. |
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| 47 | 47 | | In [Except as provided by Subsection (b-3), in] appointing |
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| 48 | 48 | | commissioners under Section 392.031, a municipality with a |
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| 49 | 49 | | municipal housing authority composed of seven or more commissioners |
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| 50 | 50 | | shall appoint at least two commissioners to the authority who are |
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| 51 | 51 | | tenants of a public housing project over which the authority has |
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| 52 | 52 | | jurisdiction or who are recipients of housing assistance |
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| 53 | 53 | | administered through the authority's housing choice voucher |
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| 54 | 54 | | program or project-based rental assistance program. |
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| 55 | 55 | | (b-1) The presiding officer of the governing body of a |
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| 56 | 56 | | municipality that has a municipal housing authority in which the |
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| 57 | 57 | | total number of units is 150 or fewer is not required to appoint a |
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| 58 | 58 | | tenant or a recipient of housing assistance to the position of |
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| 59 | 59 | | commissioner as otherwise required by Subsection (b) if the |
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| 60 | 60 | | presiding officer has provided timely notice of a vacancy in the |
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| 61 | 61 | | position to all eligible tenants or recipients of housing |
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| 62 | 62 | | assistance and is unable to fill the position with an eligible |
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| 63 | 63 | | tenant or recipient of housing assistance before the 60th day after |
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| 64 | 64 | | the date the position becomes vacant. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (c) In appointing commissioners under Section 392.032, a |
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| 66 | 66 | | county shall appoint at least one commissioner to a county housing |
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| 67 | 67 | | authority who is a tenant of a public housing project over which the |
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| 68 | 68 | | county housing authority has jurisdiction or who is a recipient of |
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| 69 | 69 | | housing assistance administered through the authority's housing |
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| 70 | 70 | | choice voucher program or project-based rental assistance program. |
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| 71 | 71 | | (d) In appointing commissioners under Section 392.033, a |
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| 72 | 72 | | county or counties comprising a regional housing authority shall |
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| 73 | 73 | | appoint at least one commissioner to a regional housing authority |
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| 74 | 74 | | who is a tenant of a public housing project over which the regional |
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| 75 | 75 | | housing authority has jurisdiction or who is a recipient of housing |
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| 76 | 76 | | assistance administered through the authority's housing choice |
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| 77 | 77 | | voucher program or project-based rental assistance program. If |
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| 78 | 78 | | more than one county comprises a regional housing authority, the |
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| 79 | 79 | | counties shall agree to a method for appointing to the regional |
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| 80 | 80 | | housing authority the [tenant] member who is a tenant or a recipient |
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| 81 | 81 | | of housing assistance [to the regional housing authority]. |
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| 82 | 82 | | SECTION 5. Sections 392.0331(b-2) and (b-3), Local |
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| 83 | 83 | | Government Code, are repealed. |
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| 84 | 84 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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