Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3796 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R14102 JAM-D
2	2	By: Lopez of Cameron H.B. No. 3796
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a task force to analyze the
8	8	provision of financial assistance from the flood infrastructure
9	9	fund for the improvement of artificial drainage systems in certain
10	10	coastal and border regions.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this section:
13	13	(1) "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board.
14	14	(2) "Fund" means the flood infrastructure fund
15	15	established under Section 15.533, Water Code.
16	16	(3) "Task force" means the artificial drainage systems
17	17	task force.
18	18	SECTION 2. TASK FORCE. (a) The artificial drainage systems
19	19	task force is established to identify inadequacies in and suggest
20	20	improvements for the provision of financial assistance for
21	21	artificial drainage systems to communities and drainage districts
22	22	in coastal and border regions of this state that lack topographic
23	23	relief, slope, and naturally defined floodways.
24	24	(b) The task force is composed of:
25	25	(1) an equal number of members of the house of
26	26	representatives and members of the senate with the members of the
27	27	house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house and
28	28	the members of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor;
29	29	(2) individuals to represent the interests of drainage
30	30	districts, municipalities, and counties located in coastal and
31	31	border regions, appointed in equal numbers by the speaker of the
32	32	house of representatives and the lieutenant governor; and
33	33	(3) representatives of the board, appointed by the
34	34	executive administrator of the board.
35	35	(c) The task force shall analyze the requirements
36	36	associated with the provision of financial assistance from the fund
37	37	and identify possible changes to those requirements that would
38	38	facilitate the improvement of artificial drainage systems in
39	39	coastal and border regions, including:
40	40	(1) alterations to the scoring criteria used to
41	41	determine the eligibility for and the amount of loans and grants
42	42	provided from the fund, such as:
43	43	(A) the inclusion of scoring criteria that
44	44	prioritize improvements to an artificial drainage system; or
45	45	(B) scoring criteria to be used for communities
46	46	with artificial drainage systems that are based on a social
47	47	vulnerability index instead of income levels; and
48	48	(2) the feasibility of:
49	49	(A) providing no-interest loans for improvements
50	50	to an artificial drainage system;
51	51	(B) introducing a loan forgiveness program for
52	52	political subdivisions with outstanding loans from the fund;
53	53	(C) increasing grant funding from the fund for
54	54	communities with artificial drainage systems; or
55	55	(D) revising the income levels used to determine
56	56	the eligibility for or the amount of a grant or loan from the fund
57	57	for communities with artificial drainage systems.
58	58	(d) The task force shall hold public hearings in coastal and
59	59	border regions of this state, including hearings in El Paso, the Rio
60	60	Grande Valley, and Corpus Christi.
61	61	SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 21, 2024, the
62	62	task force shall prepare and submit to the board, the speaker of the
63	63	house of representatives, the lieutenant governor, and the governor
64	64	a report that includes recommendations identified by the task
65	65	force.
66	66	SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and this
67	67	Act expires January 1, 2025.
68	68	SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
69	69	1, 2023.