| 1 | 1 | | 88R1442 JG-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen, et al. H.B. No. 1248 |
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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 eligibility of social workers for the Homes for |
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| 8 | 8 | | Texas Heroes home loan program. |
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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. Section 2306.5621(a), Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by amending Subdivision (2) and adding Subdivision (15-a) |
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| 12 | 12 | | to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (2) "Home" means a dwelling in this state in which a |
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| 14 | 14 | | fire fighter, corrections officer, county jailer, public security |
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| 15 | 15 | | officer, peace officer, professional educator, social worker, |
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| 16 | 16 | | veteran, or person defined as emergency medical services personnel |
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| 17 | 17 | | under this section intends to reside as the borrower's principal |
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| 18 | 18 | | residence. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (15-a) "Social worker" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 20 | 20 | | Section 505.002, Occupations Code. |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 2. Sections 2306.5621(b), (c), (d), (f), and (h-1), |
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| 22 | 22 | | Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The corporation shall establish a program to provide |
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| 24 | 24 | | eligible fire fighters, corrections officers, county jailers, |
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| 25 | 25 | | public security officers, peace officers, emergency medical |
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| 26 | 26 | | services personnel, professional educators, social workers, and |
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| 27 | 27 | | veterans with low-interest home mortgage loans. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) To be eligible for a loan under this section, at the time |
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| 29 | 29 | | a person files an application for the loan, the person must: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) be a: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (A) fire fighter, corrections officer, county |
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| 32 | 32 | | jailer, public security officer, peace officer, social worker, |
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| 33 | 33 | | veteran, or person defined as emergency medical services personnel |
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| 34 | 34 | | under this section; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) professional educator who is employed by a |
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| 36 | 36 | | school district or is an allied health or professional nursing |
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| 37 | 37 | | program faculty member in this state; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) reside in this state; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) have an income of not more than 115 percent of area |
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| 40 | 40 | | median family income, adjusted for family size, or the maximum |
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| 41 | 41 | | amount permitted by Section 143(f), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, |
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| 42 | 42 | | whichever is greater. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (d) The corporation may contract with other agencies of the |
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| 44 | 44 | | state or with private entities to determine whether applicants |
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| 45 | 45 | | qualify as fire fighters, corrections officers, county jailers, |
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| 46 | 46 | | public security officers, peace officers, emergency medical |
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| 47 | 47 | | services personnel, professional educators, social workers, or |
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| 48 | 48 | | veterans under this section or otherwise to administer all or part |
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| 49 | 49 | | of this section. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (f) The board of directors of the corporation shall adopt |
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| 51 | 51 | | rules governing: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (1) the administration of the program; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (2) the making of loans under the program; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (3) the criteria for approving mortgage lenders; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (4) the use of insurance on the loans and the homes |
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| 56 | 56 | | financed under the program, as considered appropriate by the board |
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| 57 | 57 | | to provide additional security for the loans; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (5) the verification of occupancy of the home by the |
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| 59 | 59 | | fire fighter, corrections officer, county jailer, public security |
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| 60 | 60 | | officer, peace officer, professional educator, social worker, |
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| 61 | 61 | | veteran, or person defined as emergency medical services personnel |
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| 62 | 62 | | as the borrower's principal residence; and |
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| 63 | 63 | | (6) the terms of any contract made with any mortgage |
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| 64 | 64 | | lender for processing, originating, servicing, or administering |
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| 65 | 65 | | the loans. |
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| 66 | 66 | | (h-1) To fund home mortgage loans for eligible fire |
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| 67 | 67 | | fighters, corrections officers, county jailers, public security |
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| 68 | 68 | | officers, peace officers, emergency medical services personnel, |
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| 69 | 69 | | professional educators, social workers, and veterans under this |
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| 70 | 70 | | section, the corporation may use any proceeds received from the |
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| 71 | 71 | | sale of bonds, notes, or other obligations issued under the home |
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| 72 | 72 | | loan program provided by this section, regardless of any amendments |
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| 73 | 73 | | to the eligibility standards for loans made under the program and |
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| 74 | 74 | | regardless of when the corporation received the proceeds from those |
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| 75 | 75 | | bonds, notes, or other obligations issued under the program. |
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| 76 | 76 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 77 | 77 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 78 | 78 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 79 | 79 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 80 | 80 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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