| 1 | 1 | | 89R7469 JG-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Garcia of Bexar H.B. No. 2426 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to an assessment on the use of surplus government property |
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| 10 | 10 | | to provide housing to homeless veterans. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Council" means the Texas Coordinating Council for |
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| 14 | 14 | | Veterans Services established by Section 434.152, Government Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Surplus government property" means unused or |
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| 16 | 16 | | underused federal, state, or local property, including real |
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| 17 | 17 | | property, historic buildings, residential buildings, and |
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| 18 | 18 | | commercial buildings. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) "Workgroup" means the workgroup established under |
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| 20 | 20 | | Section 2 of this Act. |
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| 21 | 21 | | SECTION 2. ASSESSMENT; WORKGROUP. (a) The council shall |
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| 22 | 22 | | establish and oversee a workgroup to assess the feasibility of |
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| 23 | 23 | | using surplus government property to provide housing to homeless |
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| 24 | 24 | | veterans. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) The workgroup is composed of the executive head of each |
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| 26 | 26 | | of the following state agencies or that person's designee: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) the Texas Veterans Commission; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) the General Land Office; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) the Veterans' Land Board; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) the Texas Department of Housing and Community |
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| 31 | 31 | | Affairs. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) The council may by a majority vote include in the |
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| 33 | 33 | | workgroup the executive head of any other state agency not listed in |
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| 34 | 34 | | Subsection (b) of this section or that person's designee. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) In conducting the assessment under this section, the |
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| 36 | 36 | | workgroup: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) shall: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (A) evaluate the availability of surplus |
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| 39 | 39 | | government property in this state and the feasibility of developing |
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| 40 | 40 | | housing units on that property to provide housing to homeless |
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| 41 | 41 | | veterans; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (B) identify potential funding sources to |
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| 43 | 43 | | develop housing units on surplus government property, including: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (i) federal historic tax credits; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (ii) federal housing tax credits; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (iii) corporate and private donations; |
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| 47 | 47 | | (iv) other existing state and federal |
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| 48 | 48 | | funding sources; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (v) proposed tenant rent payments; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (C) identify veteran subpopulations that will |
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| 51 | 51 | | most benefit from a program that facilitates the use or development |
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| 52 | 52 | | of surplus government property to provide housing to homeless |
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| 53 | 53 | | veterans; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (2) may consult with: |
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| 55 | 55 | | (A) local housing authorities; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (B) affordable housing developers; and |
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| 57 | 57 | | (C) organizations and persons with appropriate |
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| 58 | 58 | | and relevant expertise on the housing needs of veterans. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than November 1, 2026, the |
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| 60 | 60 | | workgroup shall prepare and submit to the legislature a written |
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| 61 | 61 | | report summarizing the results of the assessment conducted under |
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| 62 | 62 | | this Act. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2027. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 65 | 65 | | 1, 2025. |
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