| 1 | 1 | | 88R13777 ATP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lopez of Cameron H.B. No. 4749 |
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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 authority of economic development corporations |
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| 8 | 8 | | created by certain rural municipalities to undertake |
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| 9 | 9 | | infrastructure planning projects. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Local Government |
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| 12 | 12 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 501.108 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 501.108. RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING PROJECTS. (a) |
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| 14 | 14 | | This section applies only to a corporation authorized to be created |
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| 15 | 15 | | by a municipality that during the 12-month period preceding the |
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| 16 | 16 | | date of the undertaking of a project authorized by this section, has |
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| 17 | 17 | | an average unemployment rate that is greater than the state average |
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| 18 | 18 | | unemployment rate and: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) has a population of less than 100,000; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) is located wholly in a county designated as rural |
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| 21 | 21 | | by the Texas Department of Agriculture; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) is part of a micropolitan statistical area with a |
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| 23 | 23 | | population of less than 150,000 in which the municipalities are |
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| 24 | 24 | | adjoined with regional water, sewer, drainage, and irrigation |
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| 25 | 25 | | systems. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) For a corporation to which this section applies, in |
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| 27 | 27 | | this subtitle, "project" includes expenditures found by the board |
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| 28 | 28 | | of directors to be required or suitable for the development and |
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| 29 | 29 | | engineering of plans for infrastructure for the purpose of being |
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| 30 | 30 | | ready to begin construction immediately after receiving a state or |
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| 31 | 31 | | federal grant that may be spent for infrastructure, notwithstanding |
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| 32 | 32 | | any limitation of expenditures under Section 501.103. The project |
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| 33 | 33 | | may include interlocal agreements in cooperation with any regional |
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| 34 | 34 | | or overlapping water, sewer, or drainage district or regional |
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| 35 | 35 | | system. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) An expenditure made under this section must prioritize: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) the economic goals of the community; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) the mitigation of flood, storm, or other natural |
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| 39 | 39 | | disaster incidents that have increased risks of damage to business, |
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| 40 | 40 | | industrial, and affordable housing sites or zones, including by |
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| 41 | 41 | | prioritizing projects for: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (A) water, sewer, drainage, railroad, or road |
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| 43 | 43 | | underground borings or crossing improvements to distressed |
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| 44 | 44 | | business, industry, or affordable housing sites or zones where |
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| 45 | 45 | | local revenues are unavailable; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (B) sewer and wastewater disposal facilities |
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| 47 | 47 | | required or suitable for infrastructure necessary to promote or |
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| 48 | 48 | | develop new, expanded business and industrial area enterprises or |
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| 49 | 49 | | affordable housing sites or projects. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 51 | 51 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 52 | 52 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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