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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Certified Retirement Community Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 12.040(d), (g), and (i), Agriculture |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(d) To be eligible to be a Texas certified retirement |
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community, a community shall: |
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(1) through a board or panel that serves as the |
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community's official program sponsor: |
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(A) complete a retiree desirability assessment, |
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as developed by the department, to include facts regarding crime |
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statistics, tax information, recreational opportunities, housing |
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availability, and other appropriate factors, including criteria |
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listed in Subsection (e); and |
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(B) work to gain the support of churches, clubs, |
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businesses, media, and other entities, as necessary for the success |
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of the program in the community; |
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(2) identify emergency medical services and a hospital |
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within a 75-mile radius of the community; and |
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(3) submit to the department: |
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(A) a membership [an application] fee in an |
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amount equal to the greater of: |
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(i) $5,000; or |
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(ii) $0.25 multiplied by the population of |
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the community, as determined by the most recent census; |
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(B) a marketing plan detailing the mission as |
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applied to the community, the target market, the competition, an |
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analysis of the community's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities |
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and dangers, and the strategies the community will employ to attain |
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the goals of the program; and |
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(C) a long-term plan outlining the steps the |
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community will undertake to maintain its desirability as a |
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destination for retirees, including an outline of plans to correct |
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any facility and service deficiencies identified in the retiree |
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desirability assessment required by Subdivision (1)(A). |
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(g) If the department finds that a community successfully |
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meets the requirements of a Texas certified retirement community, |
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not later than the 90th day after the application is approved |
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[submitted], the department shall provide [the following] |
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assistance in the manner provided by rule to the community to help |
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attract retirees and tourists and improve the community's |
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desirability as a home for retirees[:
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[(1)
assistance in the training of local staff and
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volunteers;
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[(2)
ongoing oversight and guidance in marketing, plus
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updates on retirement trends;
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[(3)
inclusion in the state's national advertising and
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public relations campaigns and travel show promotions, including a
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prominent feature on the department's Internet website, to be
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coordinated with the Internet websites of other agencies, as
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appropriate;
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[(4)
eligibility for state financial assistance for
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brochures, support material, and advertising; and
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[(5)
an evaluation and progress assessment on
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maintaining and improving the community's desirability as a home
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for retirees]. |
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(i) The Texas certified retirement community program |
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account is an account in the general revenue fund. The account is |
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composed of fees collected under Subsection (d). Money in the |
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account may be appropriated to the department only for the purposes |
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of this section, including the payment of administrative and |
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personnel costs of the department associated with administering the |
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program. The account is exempt from the application of Section |
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403.095, Government Code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 12.040(f), Agriculture Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable, the Department of |
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Agriculture shall adopt rules for the administration of Section |
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12.040, Agriculture Code, as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |