Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1301 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 1301
	1	+	By: Guillen, Guerra, Morales of Maverick H.B. No. 1301
	2	+	(Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini)
	3	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2021;
	4	+	May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Local
	5	+	Government; May 21, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable
	6	+	Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0;
	7	+	May 21, 2021, sent to printer.)
	8	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	9	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1301 By: Menéndez
2	10
3	11
	12	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	13		AN ACT
5	14		relating to services provided by colonia self-help centers and a
6	15		study on colonias in this state.
7	16		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	17		SECTION 1. Sections 2306.586(a), (b), (c), and (d),
9	18		Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
10	19		(a) The purpose of a self-help center is to assist
11	20		individuals and families of low income and very low income to
12	21		finance, refinance, construct, improve, or maintain a safe,
13	22		suitable home and otherwise improve living conditions in the
14	23		colonias' designated service area or in another area the department
15	24		has determined is suitable.
16	25		(b) A self-help center shall set a goal to improve the
17	26		living conditions of residents in the colonias designated under
18	27		Section 2306.583(b) [2306.583(a)(2)] within a two-year period
19	28		after a contract is awarded under this subchapter.
20	29		(c) A self-help center may serve individuals and families of
21	30		low income and very low income by:
22	31		(1) providing assistance in obtaining loans or grants
23	32		to build a home;
24	33		(2) teaching construction skills necessary to repair
25	34		or build a home;
26	35		(3) providing model home plans;
27	36		(4) operating a program to rent or provide tools for
28	37		home construction and improvement for the benefit of property
29	38		owners in colonias who are building or repairing a residence or
30	39		installing necessary residential infrastructure;
31	40		(5) helping to obtain, construct, access, or improve
32	41		the service and utility infrastructure designed to service
33	42		residences in a colonia, including potable water, wastewater
34	43		disposal, drainage, streets, and utilities;
35	44		(6) surveying or platting residential property that an
36	45		individual purchased without the benefit of a legal survey, plat,
37	46		or record;
38	47		(7) providing credit and debt counseling related to
39	48		home purchase and finance;
40	49		(8) applying for grants and loans to provide housing
41	50		and other needed community improvements;
42	51		(9) providing other services that the self-help
43	52		center, with the approval of the department, determines are
44	53		necessary to assist colonia residents in improving their [physical]
45	54		living conditions, including help in:
46	55		(A) obtaining suitable alternative housing
47	56		outside of a colonia's area; and
48	57		(B) performing the following authorized public
49	58		service activities under Title 1 of the Housing and Community
50	59		Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. Section 5301 et seq.):
51	60		(i) securing employment;
52	61		(ii) establishing or expanding a small
53	62		business;
54	63		(iii) developing professional skills; or
55	64		(iv) managing personal finances and
56	65		achieving financial literacy;
57	66		(10) providing assistance in obtaining loans or grants
58	67		to enable an individual or a family to acquire fee simple title to
59	68		property that originally was purchased under a contract for a deed,
60	69		contract for sale, or other executory contract; and
61	70		(11) providing monthly programs to educate
62	71		individuals and families on their rights and responsibilities as
63	72		property owners.
64	73		(d) A self-help center may not provide grants, financing, or
65	74		mortgage loan services to purchase, build, rehabilitate, or finance
66	75		construction or improvements to a home or otherwise improve living
67	76		conditions in a colonia if water service and suitable wastewater
68	77		disposal are not available.
69	78		SECTION 2. (a) In this section, "colonia" has the meaning
70	79		assigned by Section 2306.581, Government Code.
71	80		(b) A joint interim committee is established to study
72	81		colonias and colonia initiatives in this state.
73	82		(c) The joint interim committee is composed of the members
74	83		of the standing committees of the legislature with primary
75	84		jurisdiction over colonias and colonia issues. The committee
76	85		members shall select a presiding officer from among the membership.
77	86		(d) In conducting the study under this section, the joint
78	87		interim committee shall:
79	88		(1) determine the best methods for updating and
80	89		maintaining colonia identification systems and for identifying and
81	90		classifying colonias in which the highest public health risks
82	91		exist;
83	92		(2) consider whether colonias should be defined
84	93		uniformly across all relevant state agencies and whether that
85	94		definition should include essential metrics such as:
86	95		(A) economic mobility levels;
87	96		(B) poverty levels;
88	97		(C) mortality rates;
89	98		(D) health professional shortage area scores;
90	99		and
91	100		(E) the average level of education attained by
92	101		colonia residents;
93	102		(3) to address the enduring lack of services and
94	103		infrastructure in colonias, assess best practices and funding needs
95	104		for surveying the services and infrastructure available in, and
96	105		demographics of, each colonia;
97	106		(4) assess the status of state agency tracking and
98	107		reporting of state-funded colonia projects and whether
99	108		improvements to the tracking or reporting mechanisms are necessary;
100	109		(5) determine and assess any non-infrastructure needs
101	110		within colonias and options for this state to address those needs;
102	111		and
103	112		(6) assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
104	113		colonias and whether additional state services are necessary to
105	114		address those impacts.
106	115		(e) The joint interim committee has all other powers and
107	116		duties provided to a special or select committee by the rules of the
108	117		senate and house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301,
109	118		Government Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees
110	119		on administration.
111	120		(f) Not later than September 1, 2022, the joint interim
112	121		committee shall prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant
113	122		governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
114	123		legislature a written report that includes the findings of the
115	124		committee under this section, including any legislative
116	125		recommendations.
117	126		(g) The joint interim committee established under this
118	127		section is abolished and this section expires November 1, 2022.
119	128		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
120		-	______________________________ ______________________________
121		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
122		-	I certify that H.B. No. 1301 was passed by the House on April
123		-	30, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 79, Nays 49, 1 present, not
124		-	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
125		-	No. 1301 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 93, Nays 46,
126		-	2 present, not voting.
127		-	______________________________
128		-	Chief Clerk of the House
129		-	I certify that H.B. No. 1301 was passed by the Senate, with
130		-	amendments, on May 24, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays
131		-	2.
132		-	______________________________
133		-	Secretary of the Senate
134		-	APPROVED: __________________
135		-	Date
136		-	__________________
137		-	Governor
	129	+	* * * * *